Betrayal
by DRiddle
Summary: A Marine is murderd and the team must find the men responsible before they can inact a terrorist plot against one of three Marine Corps bases in Southern California. Along the way, they must protect the widow and children of the murdered Marine and a neighbor who inadvertantly puts herself in harms way. A friendship deveolps that could challenges Callen's core beliefs.
1. Chapter 1

**BETRAYAL:**

Chapter 1

The day started as any other. The team trickled in one by one. Chatting about this or that; getting their coffee, checking emails. Sam was relaying Michelle's first day of Haley's Spring Break, thankful he wasn't home, yet wishing he was. Callen was returning to his desk with a fresh cup of coffee when Eric whistled from the stairway landing.

"We've got a good one, guys." he said turning and heading back up the stairs.

Once Kensi, Deeks, Sam and Callen were standing in Ops, Nell began, "Staff Sergeant Kevin Mason was killed in a motorcycle accident in November. It was originally thought to be your average run of the mill accident. However, after the NCIS office at Camp Pendleton started their investigation, they suspect it was murder. Staff Sergeant Mason was an instructor at S.O.I. He transferred from Camp Lejeune in June and had just put in his package for early retirement. The investigation discovered that Mason may have found that a few of the other instructor were moonlighting at a shooting range as instructors. It would seem like much of a problem, but several of the students who frequented the course popped up on the Homeland Security's watch list."

"Why are we just getting this case now if he died in November?" Callen asked.

"The police department, who handled the initial accident investigation, was dragging their feet. It took the widow and her Casualty Assistance Officer to bring NCIS into it to light a fire under the department." Nell said, looking at her tablet.

"So far we've only been able to identify three of the students; Abida Mohamedzai, Malik Raisini and Tofeeq Awan. All three are known to associate with several Al Qaeda groups recruiting here in the Intel chatter says they're planning a possible attack locally, most likely a military target or someplace associated with the military. We suspect they are going after soft targets around military installations. Bases that have been mentioned are Pendleton, 29 Palms and Miramar. Pendleton has the most heavily populated surrounding area. Oceanside, Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Vista, etc. Miramar and 29 Palms are somewhat isolated." Nell said looking up as Hetty walked in.

"What do we know about the Marines who are supposed to be teaching these classes?" Sam asked.

"So far we only have two; a Gunnery Sergeant Michael Calke and Staff Sergeant David Willis. Both are former infantry Marines. Gunnery Sergeant Calke did a tour with First Recon Battalion from two thousand eight to two thousand eleven, then he received orders to S.O.I. Prior to his time with First Recon, Calke was a sniper with 1/2 at Lejeune. He is fully vested; having gone to Sere, Sniper, Advanced Sniper, Jump, Dive and Hrst schools. Staff Sergeant Willis has also gone to Sere, Sniper and Advanced Sniper. Most of Willis' career has been spend with Infantry units in California, Japan and North Carolina. Both had some disciplinary problems as non-NCO's, but their records have been clean ever since. Calke is divorced with two children. His x-wife lives in San Diego. Willis has been married for two years and had a one-year-old daughter; they live off base in Vista." She said.

"What do we know about the man involved in the motorcycle accident" Callen added.

"All we know at this point is that he's a Staff NCO. The Marine Corps is being very tight-lipped about any information. Hetty said she's working with Director Vance and the Sec. Nav. to get more information about him." she said.

"We've also received information that Staff Sergeant Mason's widow and children could be in danger. There is the possibility that he told her what he'd found out and the powers that be wants her silenced before she can tell. Regardless of what she knows, we need to protect them." Hetty said. "Callen, Sam I'd like the two of your to go to Pendleton to speak with the widow. Try to talk to some neighbors as well, see if she's said anything to anyone."

"Alright." Callen said as he and Sam left.

"Ms. Blye, Mr. Deeks. Go see what you can find out about Calke and Willis, talk to them if you can."

"Yes Hetty," they said as she walked out of Ops.

As Sam pulled the Challenger onto the Mason's street, Callen commented about the houses. "Nice places, too close together."

"Yeah and they're poorly constructed and the walls are paper thin. There's the house. Looks like no one's home. No cars in the driveway." Sam said driving to the end of the cul-de-sac, turning around and parking in front of the house next door. "Not a lot of guest parking on this street. The whole damn street is painted red."

"Let's see if she's home. If not, we'll start with the neighbors." Callen said opening the car door.

The two walked across the grass and up to the front door, ringing the bell. There was no answer, except for the dogs barking inside. They headed back across the grass to the neighboring house and rang the bell. Another dog barked and they heard a woman telling it to be quiet as she opened the door. She was older, sandy blonde hair.

"Can I help you?" she said pulling the dog away from the door.

"Yes, my name is Special Agent Callen and this is Special Agent Hanna. We were hoping to ask you a few questions about your neighbor, Kathleen Mason." Callen said, both men showing their badges and credentials.

"I don't know her very well. I've only talked to her once or twice since they moved in back in June." she said before yelling over her shoulder. "Lauren, can you take Buck out back, please."

"Yes, Mom," they heard as a young girl came up behind her and took the dog to the back door and let him out.

"Do you know anything about her husband's death?" Callen asked.

"Um, I know my husband has talked to her since Kevin's death, but what she told him, I don't know." she said.

"Is your husband here by any chance?" Sam asked.

"No, he's at a job interview." she said looking annoyed.

"Job interview?" Sam asked.

"Aaron retired last month, he's looking for a job." she said. "Look, I really don't have time for this. Do you have a card? I'll give it to my husband and have him call you."

"Yes ma'am," Callen said handing her his card through the open screen door.

"You might want to talk to Amy, I think her name is. She lives across the street at the house with the black mini-van. I've seen her talk to Kathy a few times." she said.

"Thank you, do you by chance know her last name?" Callen asked.

"I know the kid's last name is Russell, so I assume hers would be the same." she said.

"Thank you, sorry for the interruption. Have a good day." Sam said before she slammed the door in their face.

As they walked towards the house with the mini-van, Callen pulled his phone from his pocket and called Nell. "Nell, can you run a background check on one of Mrs. Mason's neighbors. An Amy Russell."

"Sure I'll see what I can do. Do you have any more information on her? Date of birth, full name?" she asked.

"No, we're walking up to the house now. The neighbor we just spoke to suggested we speak to her because she's seen her talking to Mrs. Mason." Callen explained.

"Ok, I'll see what I can find and I'll send it to you phone." she said and disconnected the call.

As Callen and Sam walked up to the front door, they could hear yelling and laughing. "Sounds like someone's having fun." Callen rang the doorbell and heard yet another dog barking and kids yelling.

Amy had just taken a load upstairs to fold when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Kristi yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"No, I'll get it, I'm coming." Amy said heading down the stairs to find all three kids already at the door.

"It's probably Lauren asking if I can go out and play," Kristi said.

"No, it's probably Chris," Ricky said

"Good lord, you guys are like vultures swooping in for the kill. Back off. Ricky, go put some clothes on." Amy said opening the door. Before her stood two strangers. "Um, no it's not for either of you."

She was a shorter, a little on the heavy side, but pretty. Her hair was almost shoulder length and an odd combination of brown, blonde and almost purple. It looked good on her, Callen thought. "Good morning ma'am, my name is Special Agent Callen and this is Special Agent Hanna, we're with NCIS."

Amy noticed his blue eyes immediately, "Can I help you?" she asked holding the little dog back with her foot and wondering what Rick had done this time.

"Mommy, Sissy won't get me dressed." Jenny whined.

"You're already dressed," Amy said looking down at her.

"But I don't want to wear this anymore." she began to cry.

"Please Jenny, let me find out what these men need and I'll change you, Ok?" Amy said, patting her on the head and returning her attention to the men at the door. "Sorry"

"Not a problem, Spring Break up here too? My daughter's off and driving my wife insane too." Sam said, laughing.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about one of your neighbors if you don't mind?" Callen said.

"Um ok, come on in. Please excuse the mess." Amy said letting them in trying to keep the dog from jumping up on them.

"Mommy, you said you'd get me dressed." Jenny said trying to pull Amy's arm out of the socket.

"Ok, just hold on a second. Do either of you want a cup of coffee?" she asked.

"Sure, thank you," they both said.

"He's cute, what kind of dog is he?" Sam asked.

"He's a pain... French Bull dog and Chihuahua. I don't know which parent was which. Kristi, since you won't change your sister's clothes, would you please make these men a cup of coffee?" Amy called showing the men to the dining room, then headed through the kitchen to the laundry room.

"Yes, Mom" Kristi said before she asked the men how they liked their coffee.

"Black with three sugars," Sam answered.

"Ah, just like my Dad." Kristi smiled.

"I'll take mine with two sugars and cream, please." Callen said.

"We've got milk, Irish cream and Vanilla Caramel creamers." Kristi told Callen.

"I'll try the Vanilla Caramel, thank you." he said.

"That's my Mom's favorite." Kristi said turning to the Keureg coffee maker.

"You can make coffee?" Sam asked. "How old are you?"

"Yes, I can make coffee and eggs. I'm eleven." she said.

"Damn, I wish Haley could make coffee and eggs. It would make the weekends nicer. Instead of Michelle or I having to get up and make her breakfast, she could do it herself." Sam said.

"We should get one of those machines for the office. I hate drinking the thick sludge in the bottom of the pot after it's set there a few hours." Callen laughed.

"Hey, I like that stuff, it reminds me of Navy coffee." Sam said, elbowing Callen in the arm.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with Navy coffee, it's some of the best coffee I've ever had." said Amy as she walked into the kitchen from the laundry room. "Kristi, want me to take over?"

"No, I'm good. Do you want another cup of coffee, Mom?"

"Sure Honey, that would be great." Amy said carrying two cups of coffee to the table. "Whose is whose?"

"The one with the creamer is um, the shorter one's." Kristi said as she brought Amy's coffee to the table.

"Ah, here you go." she said handing them their respective cups. "Please sit down."

"Thank you," they said taking a seat at the large maple table.

"How do you know about Navy coffee?" Sam asked.

"Oh, Special Agent Hanna, I grew up near a Navy base. Spent a few summers on there." Amy said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Please, call me Sam. Really? What base?" he asked.

"Up in Northern California." she said

"Alameda?" he asked.

"No, Moffett Field. It was decommissioned in the nineties. It's a federal air field now. The only thing there now is an Air National Guard squadron and NASA Ames Research Center."

"I've heard of it. They used to run anti-submarine warfare operations with the P-3 Orion." He said sipping his coffee.

"Yes," Amy smiled. "My grandfather was stationed there after they came back from Japan. He got stationed in Alameda for a while, but they like the area and bought a house. My parents bought it a few years after they got married. The house is almost the three-mile-final marker."

"So, how did you spend your summer's there?" Callen asked.

"Once my grandfather retired, he would take us on base. Then the base offered Aviation Summer School in the late eighties with the maintenance training group. My brother and I both took the course. Plus, the highlight of the summer was the air show. Best week and a half of the summer." Amy said with a huge smile.

"Since you have such a love of the Navy, why didn't you join?" Sam asked.

"My parent's said it wasn't a good life for a woman. I've always regretted not joining. So now, I live vicariously through my husband." Amy said looking at her coffee and once again wondering what her life would've been like had she actually joined the Navy.

"What did you want to do in the Navy?" Sam asked.

"Ah," Amy said with a smile. "I'm part of the Top Gun generation, I wanted to fly. No cargo crap. I wanted to be a fighter pilot."

"Really?" Sam smiled. "What was your aircraft of choice?"

"The F-14. I cried when they took her out of the inventory. Such bad-ass jet." Amy smiled

"Yeah, it was." Sam said.

"Mommy, I go out and play?" Kristi asked.

"Yes, take your sister with you, please." Amy said

"Come on, Jenny. Let's see if Lauren can play." Kristi said to her younger sister.

"Ricky, are you dressed?" Amy called up the stairs.

"Yes, can I go out too?" he called back down.

"Yes please. Let me talk to these men in peace and quiet." she said as Ricky bounded down the stairs with his Nerf guns in his arms.

"We're going to play Black Ops again," he told his mother before heading out the door.

Sam smiled as Callen's phone went off; Nell had sent him Amy's background check. He skimmed it quickly and noticed nothing out of sorts. Amy headed into the family room to turn off the television, "Sorry, you guys had questions?" Amy said.

"Yes," Callen began. "What do you know about your neighbor across the street, Kathleen Mason?"

"Um, not too much. Nice woman, been through hell the last four or five months. Why?" Amy said.

"Can you elaborate on that?" Callen asked.

"Look, Agent Callen, Agent Hanna. I don't know what kind of information you're looking for, but it's not my place to tell you what's going on. Besides, most of what I know is second or third hand. I haven't really talked to Kathy in about a month."

"Ok, what do you know about her husband's death." Callen said.

Amy took a deep breath, not really wanting to relive the events of the past few months. "Kevin was killed in a motorcycle accident the beginning of November. All I know is that he was riding next to someone and I guess they got a little too close, forcing him into a pothole. He went head-first into a tree."

"Do you know anything more about the case?" Sam asked.

"When I talked to Kathy the last time, she mentioned that his death was suspicious. That NCIS had gotten involved and the guy he was riding with was being held and she was going to file a wrongful death suit. Why aren't you talking to Kathy directly about this?" Amy said, curious.

"We would, but it appears she's not home at the moment. We spoke to another neighbor who said you and Mrs. Mason spoke on a fairly regular basis." Callen said.

"We've talked, but not very much. What kind of information are you looking for specifically, Agent Callen?"

"Everything you know about the situation, we need to know." he said leaning forward on his forearms.

"Can I ask why? Is she in some kind of trouble?" she said.

"Not necessarily trouble." Sam said.

Amy looked towards the TV in the family room. "Ok, I know Kevin was part of a Harley club. From what Kathy said most of the members are law enforcement, military or lawyers. Some of them were stationed at S.O.I. with Kevin, others were scattered throughout the various units on base. I'm sure some were stationed out of Miramar and 29 Palms, too. She said it was a nationwide club. They just came here from Camp Lejeune right before we did."

"How long have you been here?" Callen asked.

"We got here in June, but didn't get the house until after the July forth ninety-six." She said.

"I know the turnover rate in housing is pretty fast. How many of your neighbors were here when Kevin Mason died?" Callen asked.

"Yeah, I think there are only four of us left, everyone else in the immediate area is new. I don't know that she associated with anyone either up the street or in the cul-de-sac. The only ones left are Aaron right next door to her; he just retired. Jackie, a.k.a. Navy Wife Barbie lives two houses down on my side. She started a home daycare either at the end of last year or beginning of this year. Mary, three houses down on Kathy's side, I believe her husband is deployed right now." she said pointing in the different directions.

"Why do you call her Navy Wife Barbie?" Sam asked.

"You'll see. Platinum blonde, boob job. If it rained, I honestly think she'd drown." Amy said.

"Do you think she's told them anything more than she's told you?" Callen asked.

"Probably, they hang out and talk all the time." Amy said.

"Has she told you anything else about the case?" Callen asked.

"Well, she did mention that she was very well represented. She has a Military and civilian lawyer here in California, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and one other place, but I can't recall where she said it was."

"Why so many lawyers?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. Most are club members. I have a feeling there's more going on that she's letting onto. She told me she didn't get the police report until a month or so ago. The autopsy report came in a couple weeks after that." Amy explained drinking the last of her coffee.

"Did she say why it took them so long to get the reports back?" Callen asked.

"No, but I know she was pissed. The Vista police department isn't known for their promptness. My husband was in an accident off of Vista Way back in 2007. It took forever to get the police report." Amy said.

"Do you know where Mrs. Mason might have gone this week?" Callen asked looking at the bottom of his empty coffee cup.

"I know she mentioned going to New York the week before Easter, but I expected she'd be back this week. Kathy bought a house in Pennsylvania. She's been busy going through stuff in storage getting ready to move in June." Amy said, looking at Callen. "Do you want another cup of coffee?"

"Oh no, I think I've had enough for now. I will take some water if you don't mind." he said.

"Sure. Sam you want another cup of coffee or water? Agent Callen, ice?" she said taking the two cups to the kitchen.

"Please, just Callen is fine. Yes, I'll take ice." Callen said with a smile. He thought there was something about Amy, but couldn't put his finger on it.

"I'll take some ice water, too," Sam said standing. "May I use your restroom?"

"Sure, it's right over there," she said pointing to the hallway. "I can't guarantee what it looks like, I asked the kids to clean it yesterday and they didn't."

"Not a problem." Sam said.

"Kathy brought a couple bags of cloths over here. I think it was Wednesday, week before last." Amy said reaching up to the top shelf of the cabinet for the big plastic cups.

"Need some help with that?" Callen asked walking into the kitchen.

"Nope, I've got it. I do this all the time." she said nearly walking into him as she turned around.

"Sorry." Callen said backing away.

"What kind of clothes did she bring over?" Sam asked.

"A huge bag of stuff for Jenny. Lots of dresses, ten to fifteen pairs of pants and a bunch of shirts." Amy said standing in front of the refrigerator waiting for the ice machine to fill the cup.

"What was in the other bag she brought over?" Callen asked.

"It was clothes for me. Two purses, a swim suit, pants and shirts." Amy said filling another cup with ice.

"Do you think Mrs. Mason went to Pennsylvania?" Callen asked.

"Maybe, like I said we don't really talk that much and I try to keep out of everyone else's business. I've got enough drama going on in my own life; I sure as hell don't need theirs too. I don't even have Kathy's number."

Once the glasses we filled with water, the three returned to the table and finished the conversation. Unfortunately, Amy didn't have much more information to offer. They left their cards with her in the event she heard or thought of something else. They both thanked Amy for her time and headed out to talk to the other two women Amy mentioned.

Amy's description of Jackie was almost dead on, she offered very little information. Sam and Callen agreed that it was more because she had three extra children running around. She did, however, agree to call them after the children went down for their naps or after they went home. Mary was very generous with the information, but knew no more than Amy. Sam and Callen thanked her for her time, left their cards and headed back to the office.

On the way back to L.A. Sam and Callen talked about what Amy had told them. They agreed that Amy didn't know more than she was telling them. Callen read Sam the information Nell had sent him about Amy. "Ok, Amy Russell; born Amelia Josephina Vincent, April fifth, nineteen seventy-seven."

"Hmm, her birthday is Friday," Sam said looking at his watch.

"Born and raised in Northern California. Married now-Staff Sergeant Richard Russell in May of two thousand one. Three children ages eleven, ten and five. Divorced a David Wilson in 2000 after being legally married for only six months. She still has an active restraining order against him. Um, let's see no criminal record. Except a jay-walking ticket in nineteen ninety-three, which she went to traffic school for. Graduated in ninety-five. Went to two local community colleges and never finished, but she did take extensive writing classes and photography."

"Wow, good kid." Sam said. "Clean as a whistle."

Upon their return to the office, they headed up to Ops to see if Nell and Eric or Kensi and Deeks found out anything more about the five suspects.

"Can you run Background checks on two other women? A Jackie Moreno and Mary Garcia?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Nell said turning back to her computer. She told them about the other two women, nothing out of the ordinary and nothing important.

Kensi and Deeks returned to the office and relayed the information they got from several members of Calke and Willis's command and what the men themselves said. "They claim that they both work at the range on night and weekends, but deny knowing or having any of the three suspects in any of their classes." Kensi said.

"We went by the range and asked for their surveillance tapes. They were more than happy to hand them over to us." Deeks said handing the thumb drive to Eric.

"How far back do the videos go?" Eric asked loading the files.

"It should go back about nine months. Covering the parking lot, indoor and outdoor ranges, shop and lobby." Deeks said.

"Good, a few months before Gunnery Sergeant Mason's death. We should be able to find something." Eric smiled and began working his magic.

Almost immediately, Eric and Nell had footage of the two Marines in question and the three suspects. "Ok, we've got the three suspects arriving. I've put the vehicle information in Kaleidoscope and we will see what we can come up with." He said spinning in his chair.

By Friday, they were no further in the case than they had been two

days before. They had no leads and there was no sign of their suspects anywhere. As the team packed up to head home for the weekend, they walked about their plans for the days ahead. Callen's mind drifted to Amy. There was something about her that pulled at him. He knew Sam had noticed his mind was elsewhere when they weren't working on leads.

"You're still thinking about her, aren't you?" Sam asked him, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I don't know what it is about her." Callen said pushing his hand through his hair.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Kensi asked.

"Amy Russell, One of Kathleen Mason's neighbors." Callen said.

"What's her deal?" Kensi said.

"I don't know what it is, I just have a feeling something's wrong. Something not related to the case." Callen said.

"Hey Callen, didn't you say her birthday was April fifth?" Sam asked looking at Callen.

"What was that Sam? Callen asked

"When did you say Amy's birthday was?" Sam asked

"Um, I think it was the fifth, today." he said looking at the calendar on his desk.

"Damn, wish we'd known more about her when we were talking to her. I'm sure she could use a few more birthday wishes." Sam said.

"I'm sure she would appreciate that," Callen said thinking maybe this could be his excuse to go see her, talk to her.

"Hey G, you still coming down this weekend? Maybe you could stop by and see Amy, wish her a happy birthday. I think I'm going to stop by tonight on my way home." Sam said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm still coming down. What's Michelle cooking?" Callen said hearing his stomach growl.

"I don't know what she's got planned." Sam said with a laugh.

"Mr. Callen may I have a word with you?" Hetty said from her desk.

"What's up Hetty?" Callen asked as he walked up.

"This Amy Russell, what can you tell me about her?" Hetty asked

"She's married to a Marine, three kids. Clean criminal record except for a jay-walking ticket when she was in high school." He told her. "Why do you ask?"

"What's your impression of her? Does she seem happy?" Hetty asked.

"I think she's got a good head on her shoulders, seems smart. As for happy, I don't know. On the surface for everyone to see, I think she's got a good front going. On the inside, there's something in her eyes. A sadness almost, I can't get it out of my head. I'm worried that she's in some kind of trouble or something. Why do you ask?" he said.

"Oh just wondering." She said.

"Why do I get the feeling you know more about Amy than you're letting on?" Callen said, giving Hetty his typical curious look.

"Now, Mr. Callen. Whatever would make you think that?" She smiled slyly.

"You do know Amy, don't you?" Sam said, walking up behind Callen.

"How do you know Amy?" Callen asked.

"I knew Amy's great grandmother. I met Amy as a child only a handful of times and she asked me to look after Amy before she passed away in nineteen ninety-four. So, I've kept tabs on her." Hetty explained.

"Then why are you asking me about her if you've been keeping tabs on her over the last nineteen years?" Callen asked.

"I haven't spoken to her in a few years to know for sure, but there is definitely a change in her personality over the last five or six years. I don't know what it is. Like you, Mr. Callen I'm worried about her." Hetty explained.

"I would like the two of you to, how should I say this..." Hetty stopped to think.

"Keep an eye on her?" Callen asked.

"Yes, befriend her is more what I was looking for. See if she will tell you what's going on at home. She's dropped off the social networking sites almost completely and when she post, it's very non-descript." She said.

"We will see what we can do?" they agreed.

Satisfied with their answer, "Amy's great grandmother left me with detailed instructions of how to handle her final wishes once Amy turned a certain age. With today being her Birthday, I need to get everything together for her." Hetty said.

"Not a problem, Hetty." Sam and Callen said,

"Are you going by the base tonight, Sam?" She asked as they turned to walk away.

"I had planned on it. I figured I'd stop by and get her some flowers or something." He said.

"Very nice of you, Mr. Hanna. I believe she likes lilies." Hetty smiled.

"Easy enough," Callen said looking at Sam.

"Oh Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna" she called after them. "Please don't tell her we know each other. I'll pay her a visit in a few weeks when I have everything together." Callen and Sam nodded and walked away.

The drive to Pendleton wasn't bad until Sam hit the San Onofre Nuclear Power plant; the Northern most tip of the base. It took him forty-five minutes just to get to the main gate of the base and another fifteen minutes just to get on base. At that point, he was thankful his military days were over.

Amy's street was full of kids playing. Slowly he made his way to the end of the cul-de-sac and turned around to park across the street. Her black Chevy Venture was parked in the driveway and the garage door was open. As he got out of the car, Amy's youngest daughter; Jenny; met him.

"Hi, how are you?" he said looking down at her.

"I'm good. Those are pretty flowers. Who are they for?" Jenny asked.

"They're for your Mommy. Her birthday is today, right?" Sam told her as he watched her run away.

"Mommy, Mommy that big man from the other day brought you flowers." she yelled all the way across the street and up the driveway into the garage.

Amy set the ash tray on the couch and got to her feet, looking to see if any of the neighbors heard Jenny. "Agent Hanna, I mean Sam, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I found out it was your birthday and thought I'd bring you a little something." he said handing the bouquet of Easter Lilies to her.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't have to do that. I'm shocked you'd even think about it. Thank you." she said tears filling her eyes. "Wait, how did you know when my birthday was?"

"We ran a background check. Standard procedure." Sam said.

"Really?" she asked feeling her stomach knot.

"You've got a very clean record. You should be proud of it."Sam said,

"Ha, I lead a very boring life. Kind of hard to get into trouble when you don't do anything." she laughed.

"It also said you took a lot of writing classes and photography." Sam said sitting on the couch, facing her. "This looks familiar, barracks special?"

"Of course, they were going to Dermo, so we got two couches and two chairs. The rest are out back." she said lighting a cigarette.

"Do you do much writing?" he asked.

"As much as I can do with a house to keep up with, three children and a husband who tends to act like a child." she laughed.

"What do you write about?" he asked.

"Fiction." she said taking a drag of her cigarette.

"Ok, have you played shutterbug lately?" He asked looking around the garage.

"No, I haven't, not in a long while. My brother and I tried to start out own photography business about thirteen years ago, but I got married and moved down here." She told him.

"So do you have any special plans for tonight?" he asked, hopeful.

"You're looking at it. I'll go in and make dinner in a while. I don't know when Rick's getting home. He claims to be working late."

"I take it you don't believe him?" Sam said with a smile.

Amy smiled, "No, I really don't?"

Sam laughed. " I've got to head home, but Callen said he'd stop by tomorrow on his way down to my house."

"No, he really doesn't need to go out of his way like that." She said.

"Really it's no trouble, he wants to talk to you more."

"Well, okay. Thank you for stopping by. The flowers are a wonderful surprise." she said standing.

Sam leaned in giving Amy a pat on the shoulder before he walked down the driveway and out to his car. Amy waved as he drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The call came all too early for Callen's liking. Even though he was already awake, he'd hoped to get a run in before actually starting his day. He arrived at the office as Kensi was getting out of her Cadillac. Deeks was getting out of the passenger side. He wondered why they'd shown up together, but figured what they did in their time off was none of his business.

"Callen it's not what it looks like," Kensi said pulling her bag onto her shoulder.

"What what looks like?" he said getting out of his car and reaching back in for his coffee. "I don't see anything you don't want me to see."

"No seriously Callen. She picked me up because I live closer to the office than she does, I was on the way." Deeks said.

"Hey, like I said. I don't see anything." Callen said shrugging his shoulders. "So, either of you know what's going on? Did Hetty tell you anything?"

"Nope nothing, we were hoping you might know." Deeks said as they walked into the office.

"Sam's not going to be with us for a half hour to an hour, we will start without him. Callen you can brief him when he gets here." Hetty said and Callen nodded.

"The Vista Police Department was called to Staff Sergeant Willis' address this morning after a neighbor reported hearing gun shots. He, his wife and daughter were all found dead, multiple gun-shot wounds. San Diego County Coroner's office estimates their time of death between midnight and three a.m. this morning."

"Since they can't find, Kathy Mason, they're starting with the instructors." Callen said.

"It would seem so." Hetty said.

"Vista P.D. is waiting for you guys at the scene. The address is on your phones." Eric said.

"Anything more we should know before heading out?" Callen asked.

"They sent over pictures of the crime scene. Be thankful the bodies have been removed." Nell said. "It's pretty gruesome, shot the daughter four times. Willis and his wife were shot at least a dozen times both in the abdomen and head."

"Wonderful." Kensi said. "Callen, do you want to ride with us down there?"

"If you're driving no, I'll drive myself. Thank you." He laughed.

"My driving isn't that bad, is it Deeks?" she said as they walked out of Ops.

They could smell the blood before you even walked onto the property. The Willis' lived in a three bedroom, two bath rental that sat on an acre of land. The police officer who was standing at the base of the driveway lifted the yellow tape so Callen, Kensi and Deeks could step under. Another officer met them and gave them the rundown on what they'd found. They listened, but fully intended on looking everything over themselves.

They pulled black gloves out of their pockets and put them on as they walked up to the front door. The officer handed them booties for their shoes so as to not contaminate the scene. Kensi covered her nose with her wrist as they walked in the smell was so foul. The amount of blood was horrible.

"The male victim was found here in the living room," the officer pointed. We found nine millimeter casings there, there and there."

Deeks had his camera up snapping shots of the remnants of both the body and shells. "What is this here?" he asked?

"Um, we think its brain matter. Out CSI's took samples, but we didn't want to take too much since we knew you guys were coming." He said looking a little green.

"Gee thanks, sweet of you." Deeks said as he took a picture of it.

The blood trail led down the hallway to the master bedroom. Bloody hand prints marred the coffee colored walls. They tried to step around the now dried puddles of blood, but it was everywhere. The officer led them to the master bedroom where he began to describe the scene.

"This is where we found the victim's wife. She was asleep when she was shot. Several shots to the abdomen and a few more to the head. You can see where they missed and hit the headboard." He said pointing to the nearly twenty bullet holes.

Kensi stood at the door looking at the angle of the shots, and then moved to the foot of the bed. "No wonder these guys needed shooting lessons. Talk about a bad shot. How do you miss a person sleeping in bed?"

Deeks was busy snapping photo after photo.

"We think that whoever it was came in started shooting, hit and killed the wife and wounded the Staff Sergeant. You can see by the smears on the floor that a fight probably ensued."

"Yeah," Callen said. "What about the child?"

"That was the worst. The officer who responded to the initial call has a little one himself. He was so distraught over it he had to leave. The M.E. said she was shot point blank. There were muzzle burns on her head and body. Overkill if you ask me. One shot was more than enough, four was just." He broke off and swallowed hard.

"We get the idea." Callen said. "Thank you, we'll take over from here. Oh, by the way, how many casings did you find in total?"

"We may have missed a few, but our final count was sixty. None of the guys really wanted to get down on the floor and look under the bed. Especially since the blood was still wet when we all got here."

"What time did you get here?" Callen asked.

"About four this morning." He said as Sam came up behind him.

"Hey Sam," Callen said before continuing. "The coroner figured they were shot between midnight and three, what time did the call come in?" Have you guys ever been called out to this address before?"

"I believe the call came in at two thirty, two forty-five." The officer said.

"What took you guys so long to get here?" Sam asked.

"There were lots of DUI's last night. A couple bar fights, burglaries." He said.

"Have you guys ever been called out to this address before?" Callen asked.

"We've been called out a few times with the previous tenants, but not with these people." The officer told him.

"Alright, thank you. If we have any more questions we'll let you know." He said before taking his phone out and calling Eric to check traffic cameras around the area, then turned his attention to Sam.

"Good Lord, talk about a bloodbath." He said looking in the doorway and then up the hall.

Callen, Kensi and Deeks filled him in on what the officer told them and the four went about looking for more clues and casings.

"Man, I would really hate to be the one to have to clean up this mess." Deeks said to Kensi as they looked under the bed for more casings. "Ok, I've got ten on this side. What have you got over there, Kens?"

"Four and two behind the nightstand." She said breathing through her mouth.

Callen and Sam noticed several different bloody shoe prints and took pictures of them. Callen's phone rang and he handed the camera to Sam.

"Hey Eric, what have you got?" he said stepping to the front door for fresh air. "Ok, I've got them coming into town on the seventy-six. They're still driving the black Honda Accord." Eric told him.

"What time was that?" Callen asked.

"There aren't traffic cams in the residential neighborhoods, so I lost them at one forty-five. I figure they got there just before two and we got them back on the cameras at two forty-five." He said.

"By any chance do you know where they went?" Callen asked looking back into the house and thought thirty minutes in the house was almost too much time. They had to be looking for something either before or after they killed Staff Sergeant Willis and his family.

"Why yes," Eric said. "They drive back up the seventy-six got off at Airport Road in Oceanside and stopped at the Super 8 on Mission Avenue. The car hasn't moved since."

"Alright, thank you Eric. Let Hetty know that Sam and I are going to head over to the hotel see what the staff can tell us. We're going to leave Kensi and Deeks here to finish up." He said and hung up.

"What's up G?" Sam asked.

"Eric has the guys stopping at a hotel in Oceanside off Mission and the seventy-six. The shooters were here roughly thirty minutes." He told Sam.

"This didn't take thirty minutes; they must have searched the house. I'd say before they killed the family." Sam said.

They walked back to the master bedroom, "Kensi, Deeks, Eric estimates the shooters were here just about thirty minutes. After you're done in here see what you can find. See if anything is missing. Check the computer. You know the drill."

Callen followed Sam over to the hotel; it wasn't in the nicest part of Oceanside, but nice enough. They walked into the office and found a young woman working behind the counter. After showing her their badges and credentials, they started to ask questions. She told them that the men had checked in three days ago, under the names Omar Hamed, Rashir Kalif and Asir Fukar. She handed them a photo copy of their identification. Callen asked if they had surveillance cameras and if they could possibly see the footage for the last three days. She agreed and they copied the files to a thumb drive. Before leaving, they handed the woman their cards and asked that she or any of the other clerks call if they come into the office.

After stepping out of the office and walking to their cars, Callen called Eric. "Ok, Eric, the clerk in the office said they checked in three days ago. The car is still here; can you keep an eye on their movements and let us know if they leave? We're going to go check on Gunnery Sergeant Calke, make sure he's still alive." He said.

It was a short drive over to Calk's apartment, but the weekend traffic and the beautiful sunny weather made getting anywhere almost impossible. It took ten minutes to get from the hotel on Mission down to North Coast Highway. Traffic on North Coast Highway was even worse, thirty minutes to get through the six lights. The area close to the beach was always busy on the weekends, especially on pay day weekends. Callen looked in his rearview mirror and smiled as he saw Sam rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

Finally, they got to the point where Coast Highway split onto the seventy-six. Callen looked back at Sam who was glaring at him pointing and mouthed that they should've taken that. They passed the Oceanside Visitors Center on their right along with Carrows; Callen's stomach growled wonderful aroma wafted through the window. He looked off to the left as they passed Oceanside Harbor and noticed how few boats remained in their slips. The beach and ocean were just beyond that and Callen had an overwhelming urge to go swimming. Finally, they came to the intersection of North Coast Highway and Harbor Drive and waited along with the some thirty cars for the green light. Callen realized how close to the base they were. If he made a right at the light, it would take him to the main gate and he thought about Amy.

It seemed Amy was on his mind more and more as of late. So much that he barely thought of Paris unless someone mentioned her name. He wished they'd been able to get that beer together before she and the rest of the Red Team headed for Arkansas.

Finally, the long line of cars moved and they were able to make the left turn onto Harbor Drive. Calke lived in a tall condominium building just outside the Del Mar gate. They parked and went in to find his condo.

"Nice place," Sam said as they rode the elevator to Calke's floor.

As they approached his door, a neighbor was leaving and said, "Mike's not there. I saw him leave a couple hours ago."

"Did he by chance say where he was going?" Callen asked.

The man laughed. "No, he never does. He had his back pack, camel pack and running shoes. I assume he went either for a run or to the beach."

"Maybe a run on the beach?" Sam said with a laugh.

Callen turned around and shot him a thank-you-Captain-Obvious-look before looking back at the neighbor. "How often does he go out like this?"

"When he doesn't have his kids, so every other weekend." He said.

"Do you know how long he's gone, usually?" Callen asked.

"Oh man, I'm usually in and out all weekend myself. I honestly couldn't tell you. Sorry about that." He said.

"If, when you come back, Mike's home, can you give us a call?" Callen said handing him his card.

"Do you know what his normal run route is?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I've run it a couple times with him. He goes in through the Del Mar gate, through housing down to Del Mar beach and clear up to Seal Beach. It kicked my ass when I ran with him." He smiled.

"Has he had a few more visitors than normal?" Sam asked.

"No, the only ones who come to see him are his ex-wife and kids. They were here last weekend. They're a loud couple of kids." He said.

"No one else comes to see him? He doesn't have a girlfriend?" Callen asked.

"If he's got a girlfriend, I've never seen her and I've seen no one else. He's been working at the shooting range on Airport Road in the evenings and on a few weekends, but he hasn't said anything about working there at all this week." He said.

"Alright, thank you for your help. What was your name?" Callen asked offering his hand.

The man took it and said, "Sergeant Jason Phillips.

"How do you live here on a Sergeant's pay?" Sam asked.

"Oh, my wife is a nurse at Scripps in Encinitas." He said pointing back towards his condo.

"Ah, got you a sugar-mama, huh?" Sam laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said.

"Thank you for your time and the information. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon." Callen and Sam said as they walked away.

They called Eric as they walked out of the building, "Hey Eric, we just talked to one of Gunnery Sergeant Calke's neighbors and he said Calke left a couple hours ago, most likely for a run. He also said that Calke mentioned working at the shooting range in Oceanside, but that he hasn't worked there in the last week. No visitors except his ex-wife and kids."

"Ok, Hetty sent Kensi and Deeks home. So go on home. We'll call you if anything else comes up." Eric said.

"What else did Kensi and Deeks find at the crime scene?" Callen asked.

"It looks like they went through the Willis' computer. Kensi and Deeks brought it back; Nell and I are going through it now to see what we can find."

"Ok, does Hetty want us in tomorrow?" Sam asked.

"She said she'd call you if she does. She's on the phone with Granger right now." Nell said.

"Any more on the attack they're planning?" Callen asked.

"No, nothing yet, as soon as we hear anything on that too, we will call you guys. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon or what's left of it." Nell said and hung up.

Callen looked at Sam with a what-now look. "So you want to come down for dinner anyway?" Sam asked looking at his watch. It was almost three.

"No, I'm going to head home. Maybe we can try it again next weekend." Callen said laughing.

"Yeah, I'll bring you some leftovers." Sam joked.

"Thanks." He said getting into the Jag and pulling out of the parking lot onto Harbor Drive. Sam had already headed onto the onramp for the five South.

Callen was hungry, but really didn't want Del Taco or Denny's. Amy popped into his head again, so he went straight through the intersection towards the main gate. He fought his way through the traffic getting off the five and got into the far right lane to get on base. The wait wasn't too bad, only five cars ahead of him. As he approached the sentry, he pulled his badge and credentials from his back pocket. The Marine at the gate waved him through and told him to have a nice day. Callen thanked him and looked at the rank on his lapel, Corporal. He shook his head as he pulled away from the gate thinking the kid didn't look old enough to have even graduated High School, let alone be a Marine. He thought of his friend, Special Agent Jethro Gibbs in DC. He hadn't talked to him in a few months and made a mental note to change that.

At the second stop sign, Callen noticed two baseball games going on. He could hear the families cheering the teams on. The child at bat on the closest diamond hit the ball with a crack and tossed the bat as he headed for first base. Suddenly the kid fell face first into the gravel and went sliding a good three feet. Callen almost slammed on the breaks, but there was a truck behind him. Luckily the kid got up and brushed himself off. Callen saw no blood and went on to Amy's house.

Amy was in the garage when he pulled up, the door was half open. He ducked his head in to see what she was doing. She was covered up with a blanket, the ash tray on one arm of the recliner, the pack of cigarette and a lighter on the other and a cigarette in her left hand. Callen scared her and the ash tray went crashing to the ground.

"Holy Shit, don't ever do that again." Amy said brushing ash off the blanket and the cushion of the chair.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. How was your day?" he said sitting on a bench across from her.

"Not bad. Sam said you'd be coming over, I just thought it would've been a lot earlier than this. Are you on your way down to his house for dinner?" She said.

"Oh, I would have, but we got called in at six this morning to work on a case." He said leaning against the wall.

"I'm sorry. Was it bad?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." He said eyeing the beer on the floor next to her chair.

"You want one?" Amy asked.

"Sure, if you don't mind." He said.

Amy got up and headed for the house. "You do know that you can't go anywhere for a couple hours, house rules."

"Good rule to have. I'll be fine though." He said thinking of how responsible the rule was. "You want my car keys too?"

"That depends on what you drive." She laughed as she disappeared into the house.

When she returned with the beer he said, "I drive a Jag. Interested?"

"Old or new?" she asked stopping in her tracks.

"New, black, leather interior and it still has that new car smell." He said dangling the keys at her.

"Automatic or manual?" she asked reaching for the keys.

"Manual." He smiled.

"Damn. You're so lucky. I would've taken that baby in a heartbeat if it were an automatic." She said letting herself fall back into the recliner.

"You can't drive a stick?" he asked looking at her oddly.

"No, the last time I tried I gave myself whiplash." She said laughing.

"Whiplash?" he asked smiling.

"Yes whiplash." She said almost embarrassed.

"Do you want to share that story?" he asked

"No, not really." She laughed.

"So have you heard anything from Mrs. Mason on when she might return?" Callen asked.

"No, I texted my old neighbor this morning but I haven't heard anything back yet. She moved to Murrieta about a month ago, they still talk and are friends on Facebook." She said. "Do you want me to call her?"

"No, if she doesn't get back to you today, would you mind calling her tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, not at all." She said.

"Thank you for the beer, by the way." He said "What did you do today?"

"Nothing, like I told Sam I lead a very boring life." She told him.

"Why do you say it's boring?" He asked.

"Because it is, I don't go anywhere except for mine and Ricky's appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We don't go out on the weekends. I'm usually out here while Rick's playing video games and the kids are in and out all day. That screen door is constantly slamming, I hate it." She said.

"Why don't you get out and do something like go to the beach?" Callen asked.

"I love going to the beach, but I hate the sand. I mean I take the sand after the kids get out of the water. Even after you rinse off, you still track that stuff everywhere. I'm still trying to get the sand out of the van from our last trip to the beach. If given the chance, I would sit on the beach all day and just people watch or watch the waves roll in and out. It's peaceful."

"It is. I like to swim in the ocean, ride the waves in. What else do you like to do?" he asked.

"Well, I love to read, but I don't have any new books and I don't feel like rereading some of the old ones. I write, crochet, cook; mundane stuff, really." She said.

"What kind of books do you like reading?"

"I love mysteries. My favorite author writes an FBI series. She's got two books coming out later this year. I just need to decide if I want it in hardbound or on my I Pad. There's something about holding the book in your hand, feeling the paper. I love watching the stack of pages dwindle down to nothing." She said smiling holding her hands up as if she literally had the book in her hand.

"What about the classics, do you like any of the classics?" Callen asked

"Ugh, reminds me of college. They're great literary works, but I wouldn't call any of them my favorites nor would I ever read them more than once. Except Dante's Inferno, I've read it at least four times. I have a copy in English and one in Italian." She said

"Why Dante's Inferno?" Callen asked.

"I don't know. I like the idea of the seven circles of hell. The idea that there's a different punishment for a gamut of sins is interesting." She said.

"Interesting, I've never read it." Callen told her.

"Are you serious? Do you want to borrow a copy of it?" she asked sitting forward.

"Sure, I've got nothing to do tonight. If you don't mind letting me borrow a copy." He said smiling.

"No, I don't mind at all. I'll be right back. Or do you want to come in?" she asked getting up and heading for the door.

"I can come in." he said and followed her into the house.

"Rick, this is Special Agent Callen, he's one of the men who came over Tuesday morning asking about Kathy." She said leading Callen into the living room. Rick was sitting in a black chair with the Xbox controller in his hand. He paused the game and stood to shake Callen's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Callen said. "What are you playing?"

"I'm going to run upstairs and grab that book for you, Callen. I'll be right back." She said turning around and running up the stairs.

"Gears of War three, I'm chomping at the bit to get the fourth game. It came out a couple weeks ago, but we don't have the money right now to get it." Rick explained.

"I don't think I've ever heard of it." Callen told him.

Rick gave him a strange look, "Do you play any games? I've got Call of Duty and Modern Warfare and the kids games."

"I really don't have time to play video games. My partner Sam plays from time to time. Does Amy play any of the games?" he said.

"Amy absolutely hates video games. She usually disappears into the garage or watches TV upstairs when the kids or I play." Rick told Callen. "You're beer looks a little in the empty side, do you want another?"

Callen looked at his watch, "I've got nothing to rush home to, and sure I'll take another."

Amy returned with the book and found Rick and Callen standing in the kitchen. She smiled to see Rick and offered him another beer. "Here you go. I might just have to take your keys."

Callen reached into his pocket and handed her the keys to the Jag. "Just don't burn up my clutch."

"Did she tell you how she got whiplash the last time she tried to drive a stick?" Rick laughed.

Callen looked at Amy who was well on the way to turning bright red. "Yeah, she mentioned something about it but didn't want to tell me the story."

"Yes, we will not be retelling that story, thank you." Amy said shaking her head.

"What kind of car do you drive?" Rick asked Callen.

"A new Jaguar XK." Callen said proudly.

"No shit. That's a nice car." Rick said.

"You want to go take a look at it?" Callen asked as both men headed for the garage.

Amy followed but didn't pay attention when they were talking about the engine and the other specifics of the car. She just thought the car was sexy and fit Callen's personality.

"Hey Amy, do you want to pull out another steak?" Rick ask her, and then turned to Callen. "Do you want to stay for dinner? We were going to grill some steaks."

Amy was lost in thought and had a deer in the headlights look when Callen and Rick looked at her. "Sure, Callen do you want to stay?"

Callen thought for a moment, noticing something in Amy's eyes. "Oh, um sure I guess." He said watching Amy's body language.

"You said you had nothing to rush off to, so you might as well." Rick said.

Amy walked to the freezer in the garage and pulled out a steak, "What else do you guys want with the steaks?"

"What else do we have?" Rick asked.

"A couple sides and some canned vegetables." She said. She could feel his eyes boring holes through her soul. Quickly, Amy turned and walked into the house. Callen and Rick found her at the kitchen sink, filling one side with cold water to quick thaw the steak. "Do you want me to marinade these, Rick?"

"Sure." Rick answered.

They watched Amy get a plastic gallon bag from the drawer and a new bottle of marinade out of the pantry. Embarrassed by her thoughts, she avoided looking at them as she cut the steak packages open and put them in the bag.

"Amy are you ok, you look a little pale?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, I think I've got a migraine coming on." She said avoiding their stares.

"Do you want me to finish that so you can go lay down?" Rick offered.

"Amy, if you're not feeling well, I can stay for dinner another time." Callen said.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just go lay down for a few minutes. Thank you Rick." She said and immediately went upstairs.

She crawled into bed and threw the covers over her head. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get Callen off her mind. Even thinking about Maggie and Emily, which usually enraged her didn't help. She felt tortured and wanted to come out of her skin. This was not good, not good at all.

"Kristi, can you go wake your mother up and let her know dinner's ready?" Rick asked.

"Yes Daddy," she said heading up the stairs.

"Ricky, can you set the table for me?" Rick asked.

"I'll help you, Ricky." Callen said.

"No, you don't have to." Ricky said taking the plates, silverware and napkins off the counter. Callen watched the boy place the six plates around the table, then the napkins and silverware.

Amy and Kristi came down stairs. Amy stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stopped when she saw Callen. He looked right at her and Amy's heart about jumped out of her chest.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

"Yes, a little thank you." She said going into the kitchen to talk to Rick. "Anything I can help with?"

"Do you want to cut Jenny's steak?" he asked.

Amy began cutting her steak. When she was done, she asked what everyone wanted to drink. They all wanted either ice water or juice. Once she got all the drinks, they all sat at the table and ate. It was awkward and silent. Rick and Callen talked a little about cars, while Amy just listened and only spoke when spoken to.

After dinner was finished and the table cleared, Amy left Rick and Callen talking in the living room and escaped to the garage. No sooner did she light a cigarette and the door opened.

"Amy, are you sure you're ok? You've been acting different since we went out and looked at the car." He said.

"I'm fine Callen. I've still got a bit of the headache. Now that I've eaten, hopefully it will go away." She said

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yes Callen, I'm sure." She smiled.

"Okay, I'm going to head home. Thank you very much for dinner and the book. I'll return it as soon as I'm done with it." He told her.

"You're welcome, anytime." Amy said and regretting it.

"You have a wonderful family." Callen told her.

If you only knew she thought before thanking him. She watched him walk out to his car and drive away. As much as Amy didn't want to admit it, she loved to watch him walk away.

At two in the morning, Amy woke to the sound of a strange car and the slamming of three car doors. She looked over at Rick who was asleep, so she slowly got out of bed so she didn't wake him and snuck over to the bedroom window and peered out through the blinds. Three men had gotten out of a dark colored Honda Accord across the street at Kathy's house. One of the men walked to the front door, another walked to the back gate and looked in the yard, while the third man watched from the street.

Amy quickly dropped the blind when the man at the street looked behind him at her house. With her mind racing, tip toed to the hall closet and got out her camera. She fumbled with the lens before turning it on to make sure the memory card was in it and the batteries had a decent charge. Amy stood there for a second thinking of which window would offer the best vantage point. She headed for Kristi's room knowing she had a better view of the front door.

Slowly she pulled the blind up enough for the lens to fit in and got on her knees. Making sure the flash was off and on the right setting, she started taking pictures of the men. Wishing the one at the street would turn around again so she could get a picture of his face like she had the other two; she went back to her bedroom window. Finally after what seemed like forever, she got her shot and one of the license plates as well.

She watched for almost fifteen minutes as the men tried looking in the windows and checking to see if they were locked. The man at the street said something and the three got back into the Honda and drove away. Amy quickly scanned through the pictures, but didn't know what to do with them. She thought about calling Callen, but it was too late. She sat the camera on her nightstand and got back into bed. Something about it bothered her and she wondered if it had anything to do with why Callen and Sam had been there last week.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Callen woke to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and the sound of shuffling feet. It was only after opening his eyes that he realized he was at the office, on the couch in the bullpen. Momentarily confused, he forgot Eric had called him when their three suspects left their hotel just after one this morning.

"Sorry Callen, I didn't mean to wake you up." Eric said leaning on the counter in the little kitchenette.

"Oh, no don't worry about it. I needed to get up anyway. Is the coffee ready yet?" He asked sitting up and stretching.

"Not yet, I just started it. You can get some but it will be really strong." Eric said.

"Strong or not, I need coffee." He said getting up and walking to the coffee pot, grabbing a clean mug and pouring a cup. Callen should've listened to Eric; he cringed as he took a drink. "Oh wow. I'm definitely awake now."

"I tried warning you." Eric laughed handing Callen the sugar.

"Thank you." He said pouring four or five teaspoons in the mug.

"Like a little coffee with your sugar, Mr. Callen?" Hetty said from a few feet behind him. "May I speak with you?"

They walked over to Hetty's desk and took seats on opposite sides. "Have you been able to talk with Amy very much?" she asked sipping her cup of tea.

"I went over there yesterday after checking out Calke's place. They invited me to stay for dinner." He told her taking a drink of his coffee, too sweet this time he thought and sat it on Hetty's desk.

"Did you join them for dinner?" she asked.

"I did, had a nice time." Callen smiled.

"Very good, you got a home cooked meal after all. How do you think Amy's doing?" Hetty said.

"I don't know she really doesn't talk about very much. I know she likes to write, crochet, cook and read. She let me borrow a book." He told Hetty.

"How much does she know about the case?" Hetty asked.

"Not much. I think she suspects there's more going on than we're telling her, why?"

"I'm thinking we may need to tell her more about the case. We might be able to use her house once Mrs. Mason returns. Do you think Amy would allow the four of you use the house as a base so to speak?" Hetty said.

"I don't know. I doubt she'd have a problem. Rick might, we'd have to talk to them." He said.

"Do you want to do that or do you want me to pay them a visit?" Hetty asked straightening her tea cup on the saucer.

"I can talk to them. When are you planning of talking to Amy?" he said.

"Soon, within the next few weeks. Hopefully this case wraps up quickly."

"I agree." He said.

"Well Mr. Callen, why don't you go home and try to relax. Finish the book, go for a run. We will call you if something else comes up." She told him before sipping her tea.

"Alright," he said standing. He took his coffee, dumped it in the sink and went home. One the way, he stopped at a coffee shop and got a cup of real coffee. Once home, he was antsy and restless. Callen looked at Amy's book on the counter and considered sitting down to read, but chose to go for a run instead.

Amy needed to talk to Callen. After going to the park to get the kids for lunch and seeing the men in the car from that morning, she panicked. Once the kids were done with lunch, she told them to change in to some nice clothes so she could take some pictures. Her plan was going to work, she thought. She'd take the kids to the park and instead of the pictures being of the kids, they'd be of the men in the car.

It went perfectly. She got great shots of both the kids and the three men. They didn't seem to know the difference or even pay attention to what she was doing. Once she got back into the house, she immediately downloaded the pictures onto her lap top and separated the pictures of the kids from the pictures of the men in the Honda. She had everything ready and had attached the file to an email when she tried to call Callen.

The phone rang five times and went to voicemail. Amy looked at the clock on her lap top; it was only two in the afternoon. Where could he be? Every time she tried to reach him, the call just rang and went to his voicemail. Frustrated, Amy searched the kitchen for Sam's card, but couldn't find it. She tried to call Callen again and got the same result.

Amy was in the garage when Kristi came in with her phone. "Who is it, honey?"

"It's Miss Annie." She said handing her the phone and walking out of the open garage door.

Amy was relieved to hear from her old neighbor, but it wasn't who she'd hoped. It had been almost an hour and a half since she called Callen the first time. After exchanging the normal pleasantries, the conversation was short. Amy found out that Kathy was coming home this afternoon, from where she didn't know. Now it was even more important that she get a hold of Callen. If those men were looking for Kathy, they'd find her tonight. Amy worried about what was going on and tried to call Callen again.

"Finally, where the hell have you been? I've been trying to reach you for damn near two hours." She said when he answered.

"I'm sorry, I went for a run. What's going on?" he asked wiping his forearm across his head.

"Two things; Kathy's coming home this afternoon and there's been a strange car in the neighborhood. Three men inside, I took pictures of them when they were at Kathy's around two this morning and then again around twelve thirty when they were parked on one of the streets on the other side of the park."

"What time was this, two you said?" he asked

"Yes, two a.m. I time stamped the pictures. Do you want me to send them to you?" she said.

"Yes, please. I need to call you back; I have to make another call. Send me those pictures immediately." He said and hung up.

After taking his email address, Amy did just that and the file was sent before he hung up.

"Hetty, I know exactly where our three suspects went last night while they were on base." Callen said

"Where Mr. Callen?" she asked.

"Kathy Mason's, Amy's got pictures of them outside the house at two this morning. I'm looking at the pictures now and Kathy Mason's coming home this afternoon." He told her.

"Yes, we know. Eric was just about to call you. I want someone at Kathy Mason's side as soon as she gets off the plane and at all times. They didn't see Amy taking the pictures did they?"

"Over night, I doubt, but this afternoon they may have. She's pretty smart; she took the kids out and made it look like she was taking pictures of them, not our suspects in the Honda." He said.

"Good girl," she said, Callen could hear the smile in her voice. "Get down to Pendleton."

"Got it." He said and hung up. Quickly he ran to the bathroom; he showered, changed and was out the door within ten minutes. He called Amy as he walked to the car. "Amy, I'm on the way. I need you to tell me if that car is still in the neighborhood."

"Okay, let me look." She said walking out of the garage. She couldn't see the car from the base of the driveway, so she walked towards the park. "I don't see them; let me walk down a little farther."

"Alright Amy." He waited, listening to her breathing.

"No, they aren't there. What's going on Callen?" she said

"I'll explain when I get there, I'm on the way. Sam will probably get there before I do, show him the pictures and where you took them." He said.

"Callen did I just get myself into something I'm going to regret?" she asked walking back to the house.

"You may have. Don't worry Amy. We're going to protect you, your family and the Mason's. I'll explain as much as I can when I get there." He said and disconnected.

Amy felt sick, what did she get herself into? If Callen and Sam were dropping everything to get here on a Sunday afternoon, it must be serious. She tried to put her worries aside but couldn't. Rick was playing the Xbox and watched Amy pace the house. She kept standing at the door waiting for either Sam or Callen. Not able to stand being in the house anymore, Amy went to the back yard and sat with the dog. For some reason, she looked at the street behind hers and saw the Honda Accord sitting there.

Amy reached into her pocket for her phone and realized it was on the charger in the house. She pushed the dog off her lap and went in. Callen answered on the first ring. "I'm almost there. I just got off the phone with Sam and he should be there within the next fifteen minutes."

"Callen, I was in the back yard and saw the car on the street behind us. From where they're parked, they can see Kathy's front door." She told him.

"Okay, stay in the house. If the kids are outside, bring them in." he said and stepped on the gas. "Can you see them from inside the house?"

"Yes, I can see them from the back door and I should be able to see them from Ricky's room too." She said.

"Okay, stay inside and watch them, if they leave, call me." He said.

"Gotcha." She said running up the stairs. The girls were in Kristi's room and Ricky was at a friend's house, and felt he was safe where he was. Amy watched until she heard Sam's voice.

"Amy where are you?" Rick called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Up in Ricky's room." She yelled back and got up to go downstairs, but turned around to see Sam in the doorway.

"Are they still there?" Sam asked leaning down to look out the window.

"They who, what's going on?" Rick asked standing in the hall just outside the room.

"Callen said he will explain everything when he gets here." Amy said to Rick, and then turned back to Sam. "He wanted me to show you the pictures."

"Yeah, let's see them." Sam said following Amy downstairs.

Sam scrolled through the pictures with Rick standing over one shoulder and Amy over the other. "Amy when did you take these pictures?" Rick asked.

"These at two this morning from Kristy's room and our room, and the others I took at the park." She said pointing at the various pictures.

Sam smiled up at her, "Good job. I couldn't have taken better pictures myself."

"Amy, why didn't you say something about these guys to me?" Rick asked leaning against the wall behind them.

"You were either asleep or playing your game." She told him.

Sam felt very uncomfortable sitting between the two of them, "Let me see if they're still there." He said going to the back door. Callen came to the front door and knocked, Sam let him in. "Hey G. They're still here."

"Good." He said going to the back door.

"What the hell is going on?" She said looking up at him. "You know what; I'm going to get a damn cramp in my neck from looking up all of you tall people."

Sam shook his head and laughed. "You are pretty short aren't you?"

"Bite me." She told him smiling.

Sam laughed and patted Amy on the head. "The kids are going to pass you up pretty soon aren't they?"

"Screw you." Amy laughed waiting for Rick to chime in too, but he was still standing by the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on here and why my wife is taking pictures of strange men in the middle of the night?" Rick said.

The four sat around the table, Callen and Sam told them as much as they could about the case and asked to use the house. Callen could tell that Amy was upset and didn't blame her. Rick sat there stone-faced, showing no emotion or indifference. When they were done there was silence in the room until Callen's phone rang.

"Hey Kensi." He said.

"Hey, Deeks and I are going down to the airport in San Diego to meet Kathy Mason. One of us will call you when we're on our way back to the base." She said.

"Ok, the guys are still sitting a street back watching the house. We will not try to take them down in housing. If we have to, we will follow them to an area that's not so heavily populated." He told her.

"Alright, see you guys in a couple hours."

Callen disconnected the call and turned to Sam. "Kensi and Deeks are on their way to meet Kathy Mason. They'll call when they're on their way back up."

"Are you guys going to be able to keep Kathy and the kids safe?" Amy asked.

"One of the four of us will be with her at all times." He told her.

"Does this have anything to do with the Staff Sergeant who was killed in Vista yesterday morning?" Rick asked.

Amy looked at Rick, "When did you hear about that?"

"One of my Marines Olivera; lives over there, he told me about it this morning." Rick said.

"Why didn't you say something to me about it?" she asked.

Callen and Sam looked at each other and confirmed that the killings were associated with the men stalking Mrs. Mason. They excused themselves and went outside to talk.

They were outside for almost an hour until Amy came out and crossed the street. "Hey, they just left." She said.

Sam opened the car door and got in while Callen ran to the passenger side and got in. Sam revved the engine and took off up the street. Amy just stood there a few seconds, hearing the tires squealing through housing and then out on the main road.

"Eric, they're on the move." Callen said grabbing the dash as Sam took a corner too fast.

"I'm looking, they aren't off base yet." He said. Callen could hear the keys on the keyboard going a mile a minute.

"I see them," Sam said. "They're in the turn lane."

"Eric, call PMO and have them close the main gate." Callen said and Sam punched the gas. "Also call Oceanside P.D. and C.H.P in case they make it off base before the gates closed."

The Honda was three cars ahead of them, stopped at the red light. Callen reached behind him, pulled his weapon out of its holster, all the while watching the gate. Cars were still coming on and off base. Sam was reached beneath his seat to get his weapon.

"G, I don't think they're going to close the gate." He said looking at the gate waiting for the barricades to come up.

"There are too many people. We've seen their handy work; there'd be too many casualties." Callen said looking around, trying to figure out what to do.

The light turned green and traffic started into the intersection. As the barricades came up, the Honda weaved through the cars and made it out of the gate, but not before one of the barricades caught the back tire of the car and lifted it off the ground. The driver gave it some gas and the car was gone. The plastic bumper was the only thing left. They watched it rocking on the concrete as the Honda sped away and took the onramp for the five North.

Callen dialed Eric again. "They got off base and are on the five going north. Call the Border Patrol check point, give them the description of the car and have them either close the freeway or detain them. Be sure to tell them that they are possibly armed and dangerous. As soon as we can get off base, we're on our way up the five." He said.

As the Honda made its way up the five, traffic began to back up. The men inside had no idea Callen and Sam were behind them at the light. All they wanted to do was get off base as soon as they could. Their original plan was to dump the body; the pungent aroma of rotting flesh was almost too much for them to stomach and had to leave the windows down. They knew they had to get rid of the corpse before they went back on base. Now they needed to find another vehicle too.

The driver tried to get over a lane, but no one was moving. Drivers were getting angry and horns blew in the background. In the rearview mirror, they could see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle coming up the median. It was too far to tell whether it was a police car, ambulance or a fire truck. The man in the passenger seat began yelling to get them out of there. The C.H.P car passed them by without incident and traffic began to move at a snail's pace.

Up at the Border Patrol check point, they had consolidated traffic to one lane and checked each vehicle thoroughly before letting it pass. The men in the Honda got over to the far right lane to exit the freeway. Having just passed the Las Pulgas exit, the checkpoint was their next stop.

Callen's phone rang. "Mr. Callen, we're being instructed to re-open the freeway and just follow the Honda via Kaleidoscope and traffic cams. This comes directly from the Sec. Nav. and Director Vance. They want more Intel on their planned attack before we try to apprehend them. I'm sorry." Hetty said.

"They're going to have to change cars." Callen told her. "The Honda now has rear end damage and a missing bumper."

"We will keep an eye on them, Mr. Callen. Ms. Blye and Detective Deeks are on their way to the Mason's from the airport. They will be staying with Mrs. Mason, undercover, as married friends. I want you and Sam to keep watch from Amy's house. I expect that the three will return tonight; unless they harm the Mason's or Amy's family, do not take them down. Do you understand me?" she said.

"Yes, Hetty." Callen said before disconnecting the call, throwing his phone on the floorboard and punching the dash.

"Whoa G, the car… Haven't you done enough damage to my baby?" Sam said glaring at him.

"I didn't shoot out your back window, Sam." He said resting his elbow on the window.

"No, you were just driving when it happened. That's just as bad." He said.

"I gave you half of what Hetty took out of your pay to replace the window. What are you complaining about?" Callen said looking at him with a smirk.

"You should've paid for the whole thing since you were driving." He said turning the car around. "Where are we going since it's going to be a while before we can get off base?"

"And I'm sure you'll never let me drive again, will you? Go back to Amy's. Hetty wants us there to watch out for Mohamedzai, Raisini and Awan, but we are not to attempt to get them unless they try getting to the Mason's or Amy's family." Callen said.

"So we're just supposed to sit back and wait for them to plan their attack and hope we catch them before they can put it in action? Man, that's some bullshit." He said punching the steering wheel. Callen shot him a look. "What, it's my car?"

About forty minutes after getting back to Amy's house, Kensi and Deeks arrived with Kathy Mason and her kids. The four agents met outside, Kensi told them what Kathy had said to her about the situation on the drive from the airport. She had agreed to meet with them after the kids went to sleep to elaborate on the details. By the time they were done, it was nearly six and the neighborhood filled with the smell of dinner.

Callen and Sam walked back up to Amy's they smelled garlic and both smiled. Rick saw them standing at the front door and told them to just come in instead of knocking or ringing the bell. Sam stayed in the living room with Rick while Callen went to find Amy. She was in the kitchen standing at the stove. He noticed a frying pan, and two pots sitting in front of her.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Spaghetti, it's the only think I have that will feed the seven of us or nine or how many others might be joining us." She said smiling at him.

"It will just be Sam and I tonight." He said standing at the bar. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Not really, everything's almost done. I just need to start the garlic bread." She told him.

Callen watched as she went to the closet by the laundry room and came back with a large bowl and colander. She set them on the counter, opened a cabinet by the stove and took out a baking sheet and set it on the counter on the other side of the stove. Callen had never really watched anyone cook and was somewhat fascinated. When he went to San Diego to have dinner with Sam and Michelle, the food was already done when he got there. He watched Amy open the refrigerator and took out a loaf of Texas toast, a tub of margarine and a jar of garlic.

Within ten minutes, Amy had dinner ready, the table set and everyone eating. Callen was relieved that there was more conversation at the table tonight than there had been the previous night. In spite of the stress he knew Amy was feeling; she looked happy. He recalled the conversation they had in the garage and knew cooking was something she didn't like to do, but loved.

"Dinner is very good, thank you." Sam told Amy.

"Your welcome, I'm glad you're enjoying it." She said with a smile.

"I'm going to tell Michelle you found someone who can cook as good if not better than she can." Callen joked.

"Aw, she's not going to mind. As long as I come home to her at some point." He said.

Amy straightened and her mood turned immediately. She looked at Rick who immediately looked away. Callen and Sam both noticed.

After dinner, Sam and Rick went back to their video game and the kids watched TV or bathed in preparation for school the next day. Amy was in the kitchen rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher while Callen once again stood at the bar. He could tell she was upset and wished he knew why. He had a feeling it had something to do with Sam's comment.

"Are you sure you don't want help cleaning up? I feel bad just standing around." He said.

"No, I'm almost done." She said putting one last plate in the dishwasher.

Callen and Sam went over to Kathy Mason's just after nine. It was the same floor plan as Amy's house, but decorated sparsely. They found Kensi, Deeks and Mrs. Mason sitting at the dining room table. Deeks got up to allow them to sit down. Mrs. Mason told them everything from Kevin's death to the time she left for her trip. Nowhere in the conversation did she mention anything about the Marines working at the range or the suspected terrorists. Callen could tell she was being completely truthful. Kensi had given her a brief overview of the situation, so Callen and Sam told her the rest.

Kathy was distraught when she heard about the Willis family and recalled that Mrs. Willis was one of those who would come over right after Kevin's death and spend hours just sitting with her. Kathy relayed how kind and generous she was, though didn't mention much about Staff Sergeant Willis. She admitted that she didn't know him well and that Kevin didn't really like him, but never explained. They asked her about Gunnery Sergeant Calke, but she didn't know much about him either. Kevin apparently didn't care for him as well.

They could tell that Mrs. Mason was tired and decided to call it a night. Callen and Sam thanked her for the time and said goodnight with Kensi and Deeks following behind. They discussed the plan for the night and next day, and then Callen and Sam went back to Amy's for the night.

When they got back to the house, it was quiet and the couch in the living room had been cleared off. Sam stepped outside to call Michelle. Callen was looking at the photos hanging in the living room when Amy came downstairs with blankets and pillows. She walked past him and put a blanket and pillow in the living room and went to put one in the family room when Callen stopped her.

"So I take it those are your parents and your brother and sister?" he asked pointing to a photo with maybe a dozen people in it.

"Yes, my Mom and Dad, brother and his girls and my sister with two out of the three of her kids." She said.

"When was this, the kids look pretty young?" he asked.

"That was the trip up to my parent's house in two thousand eight while Rick and my sister's husband Paul were gone. My sister-in-law chose to sit out of the picture because the guys weren't there." She told him.

Amy pointed to a picture sitting on the frame of a picture of her and Rick. "That's a picture of my Brother, Sister-in-law and the girls from last Christmas."

Callen looked at the picture of Amy and Rick. "Wow, you were really pregnant in this picture."

"Yeah," she said embarrassed. "That's the day we got married. Rick was in an accident about a week before; we had to hide the cast on his left arm. That's why he's got the ring on his right hand."

"How far along were you?" He asked.

"About six months." She told him. Amy walked away and set the other blanket and pillow in the family room.

"What about this picture?" He asked pointing to a very old black and white wedding photo.

"That's my great grandparents." She said smiling, and then pointed to another picture. "This is my great grandmother shortly before she died."

"When did they get married?" he asked.

"I'm not sure; she's my grandfather's step-mother so sometime in the late twenties or thirties, maybe even forties." She told him walking down the line telling him who everyone else was.

Sam came back in with a smile on his face. "Amy, my wife asked me to thank you for feeding me tonight. I told her how good it was and she wants the recipe."

Amy laughed. "All I did was open a couple cans of sauce and crumble fry some ground beef."

"Doesn't matter, it was still good." He told her. "What are you guys doing?"

"Looking at the pictures. Look at this one, Sam. This is Amy's great-grandparent's wedding picture." Callen pointed.

"No way, that's a cool old photo." He said looking closely at it.

Callen had turned around and was looking at the pictures on the opposite wall when he laughed. "I love this picture. How old was Kristy?" he asked looking at a photo of Amy holding Kristy upside down.

"That's one of my favorites. She was two and a half, almost three." She said.

Sam turned around and laughed at the photo. "This one here looks pretty recent. When was this taken?"

Amy looked at the photo and wanted to cry. "We took that a few years ago in North Carolina. I was six or seven weeks pregnant."

Sam and Callen looked at each other. Sam spoke first. "I'm sorry."

"You had a miscarriage?" Callen asked.

"Yes, I did. It wasn't the first, but it never gets easier to handle." She told them fighting the tears.

"How many have you had?" Callen asked, happy to finally learn something other than Amy's likes and dislikes.

"That was my third. I had one with my ex-husband Wayne and I lost Ricky's twin. The first was a blessing, the last two…" she sighed. "Those were hard."

"I'm sorry." Sam said putting an arm around Amy.

"Ah, thank you. Water under the bridge, what's past is past." She said wrapping her arms around him. "I'm going to head up to bed."

"What time are you getting up?" Callen asked.

"It depends on how many times Rick lets his alarm go off. Any time between five and six and I'll get the kids up at six." She said going out to the garage for one last cigarette.

Callen and Sam talked about Amy's miscarriages until they heard the door open. After Amy went upstairs, they turned off the lights and lay down. Neither really slept, while they watched for Mohamedzai, Raisini and Awan.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Callen and Sam were awake and watching out the windows at one o'clock when they heard movement upstairs, then footsteps on the linoleum. Sam saw Amy go around the corner to the kitchen and Callen saw her shadow pass the entry and go into the laundry room.

"What's Amy doing up?" Sam asked from the family room.

"I don't know." Callen said getting up and walking to the laundry room. Sam was two steps behind him. They made enough noise so Amy would hear them coming. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." She said looking up at them.

"Have you slept at all yet?" Sam asked.

"No."

"What have you been doing since you went to bed?" Callen asked.

"I read a little bit, listened to my I Pod, played a couple games." She said watching them, walk around the chair and sit down. Sam sat across from her and Callen on the couch next to her.

"Is it like this every night?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it's been like this for years." she told them. "Have those guys shown up yet?"

"No not yet, I honestly don't think they will tonight. They're probably looking for another vehicle since there's damage to the one they have." Callen said.

"How do you think they'll get another, steal it?" she asked.

"Probably, we're just hoping they don't kill to get it." Callen said and Sam agreed.

The three heard a car outside and instantly got quiet. Amy got up, ran over to the light and shut it off. Then ran over to the garage door and lay on the floor. They told Amy to get in the house. Sam took her in and watched from the window while Callen stayed in the garage. A silver VW Beetle turned around and stopped in front of Kathy's house. Callen pulled out his phone and called Kensi.

"Hey Kensi, you've got company." He said.

"Gotcha, I saw them drive by. Do you think it's them?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm in Amy's garage watching. They've stopped." He told her.

"Yep, I see them." She said and hung up.

The car sat idle for a minute before the passenger door opened and a man got out. A second man crawled out from the back seat. They walk up to the house and looked in the windows then walked to the back fence like Amy said they had the night before. Callen reached behind him and took out his pistol then squeezed under the garage door and crouched near the front passenger side of Amy's van. Sam pushed Amy to the stairs and took his pistol from his hip holster and watched from the window.

Kensi watched from the front window while Deeks walked from the kitchen to the family room leaving Kensi in the living room. As the men walked up to the house, Kensi moved to the corner between the two windows. She watched a shadow cross the front window to the door and back around the corner to the side window.

"Deeks they're coming your way." She whispered.

"I've got them Kens." He whispered. He heard the gate rattle and saw them pass the back window. Kensi checked the front and side windows before running into the kitchen and crouched behind the counter, pistol at the ready. She and Deeks made eye contact.

Sam opened the door to the house and closed it quietly. He walked over to garage door and got on the floor where Callen had been. "They're in the backyard." He said under the door.

Deeks watched the two med cross the back door. They stopped at the first of the three windows in the dining room and tried to open it. Kensi peered around the cabinet and moved to the refrigerator. She was still in the shadows, but could see what they were doing better.

The men walked back to the gate, Kensi and Deeks heard the gate close. Kensi went to the pantry door and watched the men pass the side window. She moved to front door and watched them get into the car and drive away. Once they had turned off the street, Kensi breathed a sigh of relief and Deeks appeared at the living room window beside her. They holstered their weapons and looked to see that they weren't on the street behind Amy's house.

Sam was on his way back into the house when he heard Callen's phone buzz. Amy went to the back door and looked out to see if the car had moved to the street behind, then went to the front door, opened it and started to go out when Sam stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to see which way they went on the main road, come here, I'll show you." She said leading Sam down the path to the driveway. Callen was back in the garage as they stood between Amy's van and Rick's truck watching. Sam was impressed when they saw the car pass between two houses at the end of the block that backed the main road. "Good idea, Amy."

"I'm not stupid, Sam. I do know some shit." She smiled and followed Sam back up to the house.

Callen was coming outside as they walked up to the porch. Amy heard Kathy's screen door and turned around to see a man and woman walking towards them. Sam waited for Kensi and Deeks before he told them what he and Amy saw.

They started whispering when Amy told them to come in the house. "You guys can talk in the house, but you wake up the kids and you get to deal with them."

Callen introduced Kensi and Deeks to Amy and the three shook hands. The four agents looked awkwardly at each other, not sure if they should talk with Amy in the room. "Do you guys need me to leave?" She asked.

Callen told her it was ok to stay. She's already proved herself to be invaluable. Kensi and Deeks told them about the men trying to get in through one of the dining room windows. They talked for another fifteen minutes before Kensi and Deeks went back to the Mason's house. Sam and Callen suggested Amy go back upstairs and try to get some sleep. She knew she wouldn't be able to, but went up anyway.

Rick's alarm went off at four thirty and again every ten minutes after that. Amy wanted to kick him every time it went off. Finally, she got up at 5:30 and showered. Rick wasn't in bed when she got out and dressed. She assumed he was already downstairs. Amy headed down to make a cup of coffee and found the house dark. Surprised, she went to the cupboard and got a mug. Sam came up behind her, turned on the light in the dining room and said good morning. Amy turned around and smiled.

Callen came around the other corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of wearing pajamas like he'd expected, Amy was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a low-cut printed blouse and her hair was wet. He couldn't help but look right her up and down. Both men smiled and they talked while Amy made them all coffee.

"Shoot, it's six o'clock; I need to get Ricky up." She said and went upstairs.

Callen and Sam were talking and stopped when they heard footsteps on the stairs. They looked up the stairwell and saw Kristy coming down. "Good morning Kristy.

"Good morning." She said going to the family room and turning the TV on.

Amy appeared at the top of the stairs, "Come on Ricky, get up. Kristy, I'm going to go smoke, I'll be right back."

"Ok Mom." She said scrolling through the menu on the TV.

Callen's phone rang. "Hey Eric, what's up?"

"We've got our guys on camera ditching the Honda in San Juan Capistrano and taking a…"

"VW Beetle." Callen interrupted.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Eric asked.

"They made an appearance last night. Nothing major; they did try to get into one of the windows at the Mason's house." He told Eric.

"Well, we had the police check out the Honda and they found a body in the trunk. The M.E.'s waiting on Gunnery Sergeant Calke's dental records to see if it's him. They think whoever it was died about the same time as the Willis'. The chances of it being Calke are pretty slim since his neighbor saw him Saturday mid-day." Eric explained.

"Did the police interview the driver of the Beetle?" Callen asked.

"Yes, he is a sixty year old resident of San Juan Capistrano on his way home from Wal-Mart. He said they shoved a pistol in his face and pulled him out of the car; then drove away. We've got the plate number and found them back at the motel. Oceanside P.D. checked it out and our suspects checked out this morning at five a.m." He said.

"I don't think they'll keep that Beetle, too hard to get in and out of." Callen said.

"I think you're right. It's like trying to get in and out of Nell's Mini. We've got some new Intel coming over the wire. As soon as it's translated, we'll let you know." He said.

"Call around and see about missing person reports. See if the John Doe matches any of them. Give it another hour or so then call Calke's command and see if he showed up for work this morning." Callen said after drinking his coffee.

Amy came back in the house and went right back upstairs. "Ricky, get your butt out of bed, damn it. It's six fifteen already. Here have some of my coffee, but please don't drink it all this time."

Callen finished up the call and hung up. They heard a loud thud from upstairs. Callen, Sam and Kristy went running up the stairs only to find Amy jumping on Ricky's bed. Ricky was laughing. When Amy saw that she had an audience, she turned bright red and fell to her knees. Ricky sat up and looked out the door then pointed and laughed at his mother.

"Sorry, it takes a lot to get him out of bed sometimes." She said completely mortified.

Kristy went back down stairs, but Callen and Sam stayed in the doorway. "Are you serious, you have to jump on the bed to wake him up?"

"Yes and no. He's awake, just refuses to get up. I'm trying to keep him in a good mood. Otherwise the morning goes to hell and he undresses or goes back to bed four or five times." She said, with that, Ricky groaned and covered his head with the blankets.

Sam and Callen looked at each other and started into the room. "We could always play tug of war with him." Sam said throwing the covers back and grabbing his feet. Callen grabbed Ricky's wrists and told Amy to tickle him.

Ricky was laughing and squirming in their arms. Finally he said. "Okay okay, I'll get up. I've got to pee, stop."

Callen and Sam let him go and Ricky ran to the bathroom. "Thank you." Amy said.

"No problem, he needs to remember we're going to be here for at least a week. We can do this every morning if we have to." Sam said with a huge smile.

"Oh, you're probably going to have to. He'll practically beg you. Oh, by the way, Ricky's nickname is Nut Checking Ninja. So I suggest if you have cups, you wear them around him."

Callen and Sam's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, very. He even gets running start sometimes." She laughed.

At the thought of the excruciating pain, both men crouched a little. "That's not funny. Why does he do that?" Callen asked.

"It's funnier than hell to watch Rick or one of his Marines writhing on the ground in pain." She said.

"That's just wrong. You're evil." Sam said and walked out the door.

Sam walked by the bathroom when Ricky opened the door. Immediately Sam covered himself and ran down the stairs. Callen stood back and let Ricky in his room then backed out slowly. Amy laughed the whole time.

"Man, I thought you guys are supposed to be big, bad federal agents and here you're afraid of my ten-year-old son. You're nothing but a couple of pansies." Amy laughed shaking her head.

"We are, but when it comes to that area." Sam said motioning around his crotch. "It's no joke."

Callen sat silent.

Ricky came downstairs and sat in the living room to watch TV. Callen and Sam didn't take their eyes off him until he walked out the door to go to school. Amy laughed when she heard both men breathe a sigh of relief once they heard the door close.

Callen and Sam went over to Kathy's house to talk to Kensi and Deeks.

"How is Mrs. Mason this morning?" Callen asked.

"We told her what happened last night and she's worried." Kensi said.

"I don't blame her." Sam said.

They told Kensi and Deeks about the body found in the abandoned Honda and how they got the Beetle. He also mentioned that he was waiting on a call back from Eric because they had gotten some new Intel and it was being translated. They all agreed that they hoped the case wouldn't be long and drawn out; that they could get these guys quickly, before they can put their plan in motion. Kensi asked if there were any others who could possibly be involved in light of the body found in the car.

Callen had considered the possibility, but his instincts told him that the person in the trunk was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. He looked at his watch, hoping the call would come in on whether or not Calke had shown up for work this morning.

Kathy Mason opened the door and came out with a cup of coffee in her hand. Callen and Sam greeted her and walked over. She sat in a green plastic high-backed chair and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

"Popular pastime," Sam said to Callen as they watched her pull out a cigarette and grab the lighter from the windowsill.

"How are you this morning, Mrs. Mason?" Callen asked,

"I'm doing well. I didn't know anything about last night until Kensi and Marty told me. I didn't hear a thing." She said.

"Well, that's a good thing. We didn't want you or the kids coming down in the middle of it, possibly getting hurt." Callen said.

"Did Amy hear them?" she asked pointing across the street.

"We were actually in the garage with Amy when they got here last night." Sam told her.

"Ah, so she's really been helpful in all of this?" she said taking a drag of her cigarette.

"Yes she has. We never would've known that they were here Sunday morning if it hadn't been for Amy." Callen said.

"Good. Amy's a good person." She told them.

"Do you know Amy very well?" Callen asked.

"No, Annie was closer to her than I am. Amy almost hides in the house. I mean, I understand that she doesn't want to get involved in the neighborhood drama, but she hardly ever comes out. I was shocked when both she and Rick came over to talk last month." She said.

"Do you have any idea why she doesn't come out more?" Callen asked.

"She's got a lot going on. I know her Mom's sick and she keeps busy with Ricky. Annie said there was a lot going on between Amy and Rick, but what exactly I don't know." She said taking a drag of her cigarette.

Callen's heart sunk, he was hoping to get some information for Hetty. Deep down, he wanted to know himself. In the past week, he'd grown quite fond of Amy. She was always on his mind and he found himself looking forward to seeing her every morning. He knew there could never be anything between them because of the simple fact that she's married. Every time he Callen looked in her eyes, he saw so much. He did notice however, when she looked at Rick, there was something else. He saw pain and anger. He wished more than anything to find out why.

Kathy looked at Kensi and said. "I've got to run the kids to school, are you going to come with me?"

"Yes I am, just tell me when and where." She said.

"In about ten minutes." She said looking at the clock on her phone.

Callen and Sam walked back over to Amy's house. "G, you ok?"

"Yeah, just wondering what's going on with Amy. I was really hoping Kathy would know something." Callen said.

"Have you asked her?" Sam asked.

"No, I haven't." He said.

"Well, I noticed when we were here last week that she wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Rick does. She wasn't wearing one Friday night when I came over either." Sam said.

"Come to think of it, she wasn't wearing one Saturday night." He told Sam.

"So this is where you came Saturday night. I wondered what you did." Sam said walking up to the front porch.

"Yeah, I decided to come over since you told her I was going to stop by." He said.

"How did Amy seem?" Sam asked leaning on the support post.

"She was fine, didn't talk much through dinner. She loaned me a book." He said.

Sam's phone rang, it was Michelle. They talked for a while and Sam promised he would try to come home that night. He looked at Callen who nodded that he could. Callen excused himself and went in the house to give them some privacy. He found Amy vacuuming the living room and watched her for a few minutes. He realized just how attractive she really was.

Amy turned off the vacuum and gave him a strange look. "Are you okay, Callen?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is this part of your daily routine?" He said.

"Yes they're endless around here. When the kids get home, the house will be back to what it looked like before they went to school. Some days, I think it's not worth bothering trying to pick-up." She told him wrapping the cord around the pegs on the vacuum.

"Do Rick and the kids help very much?"

"Not unless you consider messing it up helping." She laughed, "Sometimes Rick helps. He cooks on the weekends, which I appreciate and will help clean the house when I get pissed off that no one else does anything around here."

"It must be hard doing everything without help." He said.

"It is, but my Mom did it. I should be able to do it too." She said. "The kids are supposed to take their clothes upstairs to fold and put away, but that doesn't happen. They wind up back in the laundry room within a few days since they just throw them on the floor."

Callen smiled and shook his head. "Kids, you can't live with them and you can't live without them."

"So true." She said taking toys off the living room couch and putting them in a laundry basket.

"Sam is going to go home tonight to spend some time with his wife and daughter." He told her.

"That's fine, I don't mind. Are you going to be okay watching Kathy's by yourself tonight?" she asked.

"Kensi and Deeks are over there. Providing those three idiots don't get into the house, we'll be fine. We're playing the waiting game now; we can't touch them until we get a little more information." He said.

"Really? Talk about dangling the carrot. They're right there and you can't do anything about it. That's got to suck big time." She said pushing the vacuum into the corner.

"Oh you have no idea. What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" he asked

"I'm going to take the toys upstairs, then start on the three baskets of laundry in the laundry room. I've got no plans to go anywhere today. Tomorrow, I've got an appointment in the morning and then Ricky has an appointment in the afternoon." She told him.

"What's your appointment for?" he asked.

"It's nothing." She said grabbing the basket and running up the stairs.

Callen knew she was avoiding the subject and decided to leave it alone for right now. He was about five steps up the stairwell when his phone rang. He went back down and answered. "Hey Eric, what's up?"

"Ok, the Intel's been translated and it looks like all we've got is our guys telling whoever's on the receiving end; by the way we're still trying to find out who it is; that Willis has been silenced. They mentioned Kathy Mason's return, but that they haven't been able to get to her."

"There was nothing about the attack?" Callen asked.

"In the communication, the sender told them to look for a location that would lead to the most loss of life. Someplace like the mall, or shopping center."

"Well, that really doesn't narrow down the possibilities. This whole area is nothing but shopping centers. Any mention of something specific?" Callen said looking at the linoleum beneath his feet.

"Not really. There's a mall in Carlsbad off the five and the seventy-eight. Across the street is a Wal-Mart, Target and another center with fifty or so shops and restaurants. Oceanside has a Wal-Mart and Kmart across the street from each other. Both are in centers with numerous restaurants and shops." Eric told him.

"Alright, thanks Eric. Let Hetty know that Sam's going home tonight so spend time with his family, but that Kensi, Deeks and I will still be here." He said.

"Will do Callen, we'll call you if we hear anything else."

"Hey, what's the news on our John Doe from the Honda?" Callen asked.

"We've been checking missing persons' records and nothing's matched up." Eric said.

"What about a transient, are there a lot of homeless around that part of Vista?" Callen asked.

"I don't know, but I will find out and call you back." He said and hung up.

Sam was coming in as Amy was coming down the stairs. Callen looked at both of them trying to decide if Amy really needed to hear about the latest update since they hadn't mentioned anything about the planned attack.

"I know that look, you guys need some privacy. Jenny's still asleep upstairs, I'll go smoke. I'll ask if it's ok to come in when I'm done." She said disappearing into the garage.

Callen told Sam what he'd learned and neither was happy. "That's a lot of possibilities. I wish we knew exactly what they're after. Maybe we should check to see what's around these shopping centers. Maybe it's an attack on a church or something." Sam said.

"That would almost be too obvious." Callen said. "No, I think they're just going after the largest number of casualties as possible."

"Are we sure they're targeting military personnel or is there another group they're after?" Sam said.

"Wish I knew." Callen said.

"Maybe it would be worth talking to Amy about what's around those shopping centers. Rick was stationed here before. I know things have changed, but it's worth a try."

"If we talk to Amy about this she's going to want to know why. It's bad enough we've had to tell her about the threat against the Mason's and the possible danger she's put her own family in. She's worried enough about the situation; I don't want to add anything else to it." Callen told him.

"Callen, I think she can handle it. Look how helpful she's been to the investigation so far. I don't think Hetty will be upset if that's your concern." Sam reasoned.

"No, Hetty told me to use my judgment when it came to how much information to share with Amy. I just don't want her any more involved than she already is." He said.

"Callen, she's a big girl… and married I know that look. Get whatever thoughts you have about you and Amy out of your head. That's a very dangerous road." Sam told him with a hand on his shoulder. If Sam could shake some sense into him, he would.

"It's not that, Sam. Seriously, there's enough going on in Amy's life that we don't know about. I think telling her about this could be too much." He said pushing Sam's hand away.

"That's bullshit Callen and you know it. You're getting too close to Amy. Maybe you should stay at Kathy's and send Kensi over here tonight." Sam suggested.

"No, Kensi and Deeks need to stay where they are. They're undercover, remember."

"Fine, but keep your distance from Amy." Sam said.

They stopped talking when they heard the door open. "Is it safe to come in?" Amy asked.

"Yes, come on in." Sam said. "Amy, we need your help with something."

"Um, okay." she said feeling the tension between them.

"There are several malls and shopping centers around. Can you tell us what's around them? Like churches, residential or industrial areas?" Sam asked.

"Okay, it depends on the area. Most are surrounded by residential neighborhoods. There are a few churches around some." She said looking from Callen to Sam and back.

"Amy we need to know exactly what's around them, which are the most popular and what times of day." Sam told her.

"Pay day weekend is always the busiest no matter where you go. Any of the three Wal-Marts, the shopping center across from the mall and the mall itself are always packed." She said knowing this had something to do with the conversation she'd just overheard.

"Can you think of one area that would be a target for say an attack, strictly hypothetically speaking?" Sam asked.

Amy gave them an odd smile and nodded. "Hypothetically speaking, if I were going for a place with the highest concentration of soft targets, I'd have to say it's between the Mall and the shopping center across the street."

"Why do you say that?" Callen asked, very curious to hear her reasoning.

"Particularly the evenings of pay day or the weekend right after, both places are mad houses. I avoid going out in town around pay day because of the crowds." She said reaching over to the bar for a pencil and piece of paper. Amy drew a map for them and began explaining. "This is the seventy-eight, here's the mall and the other shopping center I was talking about. Parking at both places are impossible, but this shopping center is the worst. There are a dozen or so sit-down restaurants; a Red Lobster, Chili's, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Outback, a sushi place and a few others. There have been plenty of times I've been to this shopping center and wanted to run someone over."

"Try living in L.A." Callen laughed.

"I couldn't." Amy said looking at Callen. "I think you guys are looking at one of these two places as your target. Lots of people. Oh and next time, try not to talk so loud. I heard the two of you arguing in the garage and Callen, you'd be surprised what I can and can't handle."

"You heard us?" Sam asked.

"I might be hard of hearing, but I'm not completely deaf." She said going upstairs.

Callen and Sam looked at each other. "How much do you think she heard?"

"Enough." Callen said.

"Should we go talk to her?" Sam asked.

"No, let her calm down. We can tell her everything later or I'll tell her tonight." He said

"I'm serious G, don't get too close." Sam said.

Callen was angry with himself and admitted he was getting too close to Amy and was starting to have feelings for her. All he was trying to do was protect her. He watched Sam walk out the front door and decided to follow Amy upstairs.

"Amy, I didn't mean to upset you. I just want to protect you from all of this." He said walking to the doorway of her bedroom. "I didn't want to add to everything else you've got going on in your life."

"I can handle it." She said from behind him.

Callen spun around to see Amy standing in Ricky's doorway and walked to her. "I'm sure you can. I'm just trying to… I don't know."

"I knew before I heard you two talking." She said with a laundry basket in her hands. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Like I told Sam I'm not stupid."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant and by no means did I ever under estimate you." He said leaning on the banister wall.

"You're not the only one who's does it, so don't feel bad." She said walking past him.

Callen lightly grabbed her arm as she walked away. "Amy what's going on?"

"With what?" she asked.

"Between you and Rick, why don't you wear a ring?" he asked looking down at her left hand.

"I forget to put it back on after doing the dishes." She told him.

"Amy, you weren't wearing it Tuesday when Sam and I were here. Sam said you weren't wearing it Friday night, you didn't have it on Saturday when I was here for dinner and you haven't worn one since." He said looking into her eyes.

"Callen," she sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"Please, talk to me. I need to know." He said letting go of her arm.

"Why? Why do you want to know what's going on? It's not going to change my situation." She told him.

"It might not change the situation, but I might be able to help. There are people out there who want to help you, we just need to know what's going on." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Callen don't worry about me. I'll get through it, I have survived this long. I can do it a while longer." She said looking away.

Callen looked her up and down, seeing no visible signs of physical abuse, "Amy, please talk to me." He said softly in her ear.

She could feel his breath on her neck and felt the goose bumps forming. Her heart raced, he was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Slowly she turned to him. "I'll tell you sometime, just not right now."

They were inches away from one another, the look in Callen's eyes said everything, and there was no need for words. She knew how he felt and it pained her to know that she hadn't seen that look in her husband's eyes for years. Amy's eyes began to tear just as she heard Jenny calling for her.

"Be right there Jenny." She said looking into her room and then back at Callen.

He caught a tear with his finger as it rolled down her cheek. "I'm here for you when you're ready to talk. No matter what time of day. I'm here." He said and let Amy get Jenny.

He needed to think, to clear his head so he changed and told Sam he was going for a run as he went out the door. The cool mid-morning air felt good on his skin. He inhaled and exhaled deeply praying to get Amy's scent out of his head. Sam was right, he was getting too close. Callen knew he needed to focus on the case and worry about Amy later or not at all. The harder he ran, the more he thought about Amy. He rubbed his thumb over the area on his finger where he'd touched her face, caught the tear. He remembered the sensation that shot through his body when he touched her. Like lightening or static shock. It was too much to handle. He need to know, wanted to know everything there was to know about her.

Trying to shake the image from his mind, he ran even harder. Never had he met a woman who had such an effect on him, but she was untouchable. Married. Happily or not Amy was married and off limits. Callen was mentally and physically exhausted, when he returned from his run, and was no better off then when he left. He opened the door and found Sam sitting on the couch reading a book.

He looked up at Callen and asked. "Feel any better?"

"No, I don't." he said closing the door and grabbing his shirt to wipe his face.

"What happened?" he asked watching Callen walk to the stairs.

"Nothing, where's Amy?" he said.

"She's upstairs giving Jenny a bath." Sam told him.

"Alright." He said running up the stairs. "Amy, do you mind if I take a shower?"

She walked into the hallway from the master bedroom and got him a towel. Amy didn't look at him or say anything then walked back into her room. Callen stood there for a moment waiting for her to come. When she didn't come back, he went into the kid's bathroom and showered.

Amy ignored Callen the rest of the day until Rick came home and they sat down for dinner. She didn't really look at him, but at least talked to him. She went to bed around ten, leaving Rick and Callen downstairs. By ten thirty, Rick was on his way up to bed and Callen was alone in the silence.

At midnight, Callen made his rounds. Checking to make sure the doors and windows were locked. Occasionally he would look out one of the back windows looking for the Beetle, but found nothing. He quietly walked up the stairs and checked on the kids before stopping in front of the master bedroom. Callen debated on whether or not to go in. He turned around and walked to the stairs then went back to the door. Callen stood there another minute before he took a step across the threshold. As he came around the corner, he could see two bodies in the bed. Amy rolled over and Callen's heart stopped, he backed himself out of the room and took the stairs two at a time.

What was he thinking, he thought to himself. Callen paced the area at the bottom of the stairs. Finally, after almost an hour, he looked out the windows again and found nothing. He went into the living room, grabbed the blanket off the couch and lay down.

Amy came down stairs at three to get a glass of water and smoke. She saw the blanket on the floor as she passed the living room. Quietly, Amy crept into the living room and picked up the blanket. Slowly, she covered Callen. He woke with a start and grabbed Amy's wrist. She stepped back, tripped over one of Ricky's Nerf guns and fell. Callen scrambled off the couch to her side.

"I'm sorry Amy; I didn't mean to scare you." Callen said.

"No, I didn't mean to wake you up." She said getting to her feet.

They were within inches of each other. Callen touched her cheek. Amy pulled away, but he pulled her close again.

"Callen, we can't do this." Amy told him, but couldn't stop him from kissing her; his lips were soft and warm. Amy brought her hands to his chest and pushed him away.

"I'm sorry" he said dropping his hands and took a step back. They just stood there looking at one another.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, it felt like the right thing to do." He told her with a weak smile.

"That can't happen again." She stood motionless with her hands at her sides.

"I know." He told her taking a step towards her again.

Amy backed away but he kept coming towards her. Soon she found herself against the wall. She put her hands on his chest to stop him from coming closer. "You need to stop."

"I can't. There's something about you. I can't get you off my mind." He said softly.

Amy smiled and shook her head. "Well, try harder."

Callen laughed and turned around. "What are you doing down here?"

"I couldn't sleep." She said.

"You were asleep a few hours ago when I checked on you." He told her.

"You came up and watched me sleep?" she asked. "Don't you think that's kind of creepy and stalker-like?"

"I checked on the kids too if that makes you feel any better." He laughed.

"Just a little." She laughed.

"Amy, I am sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"You're right, you shouldn't have." She said.

"I thought I saw something in your eyes this morning, I'm sorry." He said sitting on the couch and running his hands over his face.

She sat next to him.

Callen took her hand. "Are you ready to tell me what's going on?"

"It's such a long story. I don't want to tell you now. Maybe tomorrow." She said.

"I'm worried about you." Callen told her.

"There's nothing to worry about. Really." She reassured him. "I'm going to go smoke."

"Alright." Callen said letting go of her hand.

"For now, let's just forget this happened." She said before she went into the laundry room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hetty sat at her desk looking at the contents of an old weathered blue folder. She smiled as she picked up a piece of paper. Dialing the number on the letterhead, she listened to it ring. After three rings, there was an answer.

"My name is Henrietta Lange, I had called last month regarding removing my property from your service." She said.

"Yes, Ms. Lange. I'm so glad you called." The woman said.

"I'm wondering if you can tell me when the lease for the current tenants expires." Hetty said looking around the office.

"Actually, the tenant's vacated the property on the first of April. We will clean the property one last time, fix whatever they have damaged and we will be more than happy to turn the keys back over to you."

"That's wonderful news." Hetty smiled.

"May I ask, Ms. Lange, why are you removing the property from our services? After almost twenty years, we're going to miss your business."

"I had purchased the property from a dear friend with the agreement that I would pass the property on to her great-granddaughter twenty years after her death." Hetty explained

"Oh, I wonder why twenty years?"

"I don't know, I never asked. I'm just honoring her wishes." Hetty told her.

"Alright, we should be done working on the house within the next week. I can call you when we're done if you like?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Hetty said, seeing Nell walking towards her.

"Hetty, I'm sorry to interrupt, Sam is on the phone for you." She said and walked away.

"Thank you Ms. Jones. Please tell him I'll be right with him." She said and returned to her current call. "I must be going, please call me as soon as you finished with the property. I'd like to have my friend's great-granddaughter look at the house to see what renovations she'd like to have done before moving in."

"Not a problem, Ms. Lange. Have a good day."

Hetty closed her cell phone and set it on her desk before answering Sam's call. "Good morning Mr. Hanna. I trust you enjoyed your evening with your wife and daughter?"

"Yes Hetty, it was very nice." He said.

"So, you're on your way back up to Pendleton?" she asked

"Yes I am, but I wanted to talk to you. I think we have a major problem brewing." He said

"Really and what would that be?"

"I think Callen's getting too involved with Amy. He's got that look in his eyes."

"Oh dear, I was afraid that would happen." She said with a sigh and slight smile.

"If you knew that would happen then why did you ask us to get close to her?" he asked shaking his head.

"If what I suspect is going on between Amy and her husband, Callen will be good for her."

"My point is that he's focusing more on Amy than the case we're working. More concerned with protecting Amy than trying figure out where these three are going to strike." He said

"What would you have me do, Mr. Hanna, remove Mr. Callen from the case? That hardly seems to be the answer."

"You need to do something. I don't know what happened between the two of them yesterday morning, but she avoided him and he went for a two hour run. God only knows what happened last night when I was at home." He told her.

"I'll handle it Mr. Hanna." She said and hung up.

Hetty sat thinking for a few minutes. She hoped neither of them did anything stupid. With that thought, she picked up the phone and dialed Callen's number.

Callen was sitting at the dining room table going over his note on the case. "Good Morning Hetty." He said.

"Good morning Mr. Callen, can you explain why I got a call from your partner this morning regarding you and Amy?"

He took a deep breath and braced for her wrath. "It's not like Sam says. Well it is, but I know the boundaries."

"You need to put whatever feelings you may have aside and focus on this case. You also need to keep in mind that the is a married woman." She said.

"Do you think I don't realize she's married? I completely understand that. As for the case, it has my full attention." He told her trying not to be too loud. Amy was upstairs folding clothes.

"I will remove you from this case if you cannot act accordingly." She sighed. "Have you managed to find out anything about what's going on between Amy and her husband?"

Callen's mood suddenly changed, it was like Hetty was chastising him in one breath and encouraging him in the other. Utterly confused, he said. "Not really. She's not worn a wedding ring since I met her on Tuesday, but Rick does. She mentioned something about surviving this long, she can do it a while longer. I looked, but didn't see any signs of physical abuse. I think it's more emotional or psychological if there is any abuse."

"Well, I've been doing my own digging and may have found something. I won't tell you about it now; I'll wait until after the case. If she tells you anything, call me immediately, but do not neglect this case to get the information. I'm sorry to put you in this position." She said.

"No problem Hetty. As soon as I hear something I'll let you know and I'll keep my head in the game." He told her.

"Thank you Mr. Callen. Have a good day." She said and hung up.

Callen was staring at his phone when Amy came down stairs with an empty basket. When she saw him, she thought of earlier that morning. Her body tingled at the memory of his lips on hers. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just had the strangest conversation with my boss." He said putting his phone on the table next to his lap top. "Are you going to avoid me today like you did yesterday?"

"I don't know are you going to try to kiss me again?" she laughed.

"Only if you want me too." He gave her a sexy smile.

Amy tried to calm her nerves. "What I want is a moot point; it's about remembering that I'm married and that I will not go against my vows."

"I know I'm sorry," He said. "What time is your appointment this morning?"

"Why?" she asked.

"Remember, I'm not only here to provide protection for the Mason's, I'm here to protect you as well." He said standing up.

Amy took a step back, afraid he was going to try to touch her or something. "I don't need a babysitter."

"I didn't say you did." He said picking up his coffee cup and taking it to the sink. He could smell that she'd showered again this morning and thought he would go insane she smelled so good. "What kind of shampoo do you use?"

Amy walked to the laundry room and returned empty handed. "Why?"

"I like what it smells like." He said as she came back into the kitchen.

"One that I'll never use again while you're here." She told him straight-faced.

"Why would you do that?" he asked.

"Look, I'm not trying to attract you. You're here for one reason and one reason only and that's the case you're working on." She told him.

He pulled Amy to him by the wrist and asked. "I didn't hurt you last night when I grabbed you did I?"

Everything within her told her to pull away, but she didn't. "No, you didn't."

He looked at her face and smiled. "You really are a beautiful woman."

"Callen stop. This cannot happen." She told him trying to walk away.

"I'm not asking anything of you." He said.

"But you are, by the way you're looking at me right now. You may not be saying anything, but I can see it in your eyes." She tried to walk away again, but he wouldn't let go.

Callen pushed her against the sink and pinned her with his body. He caressed her arm and leaned in. Their lips touched again. Amy could feel his tongue gently brush across her lips. As much as she wanted to kiss him, she resisted. He stopped and looked down at her.

"Look, you're a very attractive and very sexy man. I am married. In spite of what Rick may have done in the last six years, I've remained faithful to him and I intend on keeping it that way." She said looking back up at him.

With that said, Callen let her go and took a few steps back. He collected himself before he spoke. "What has Rick been doing for the last six years?"

Jenny called from upstairs and Amy immediately went to her.

Callen's phone rang, Kensi had asked him to come over to Kathy's to listen to a message she had saved on her cell phone. He took a deep breath and tried to shake the feelings off. Kathy's door was open when he walked up and she told him to come in.

"Callen, you need to hear this." Kensi said.

"Who's it from?" he asked.

"Gunny Calke." Kathy said.

"Really, let's hear it." He said.

Kathy put in her code and cued up the message. "Hey Kathy, it's Michael Calke. I was just calling to see how you're doing. I haven't talked to you in a while and was wondering if you'd mind if I stopped by to see you and the kids. Give me a call when you can. See you later tonight."

"Something tells me he's working with Mohamedzai, Raisini and Awan; possibly to keep himself alive." Callen said.

"Do we let him come over?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know, let me talk to Hetty." he said turning around and walking out of the house.

He walked down the path to the driveway and realized Amy's van was gone. He panicked and called Eric.

"Good morning Callen, what can I do for you?" Eric asked.

"Two things; I need you to follow the GPS on Amy's phone. She left without telling me where she was going and second. Calke left a message on Kathy Mason's phone asking to come over tonight. Kensi and I think he's working with our suspects. I need to know what Hetty wants us to do. Do we let him come over or tell him to keep his distance?"

"Ok. Let me see where Amy's going first then I'll get Hetty." He said tapping the keys on the keyboard.

"She had to have left within the last fifteen minutes." He told Eric.

"She's going through the Naval Weapons Station gate right now. Looks like she's either going to get on the fifteen or will be stopping somewhere in Fallbrook." He said.

"I'm going to follow Amy. Tell Hetty what's going on and have her call Kensi with her answer. Send me the address Amy stops at, please." He said and hung up. He ran to the corner, got in the Jag and drove off.

Amy was looking forward to her appointment. It had been a few weeks since she'd seen Dr. Hough. With everything that was going on, she desperately needed to talk to her. She couldn't get the kisses off her mind. As she passed through the Fallbrook gate, she hit the gas and looked at the clock. It was nine forty-five, she knew she'd still be on time, but wanted to get there as soon as she could. She looked in the rearview mirror to make sure she wasn't being followed. When she didn't see Callen's Jag or the silver Beetle, she exhaled hard.

Amy pulled into the parking lot with five minutes to spare and drove around the back of the building to find her usual parking space open. She pulled in, got Jenny out of her car seat and went in. Within minutes, she was sitting in her office pouring her heart out. Like always, Dr. Hough sat there listening, giving very little feedback. That was until Amy told her about Callen and the kisses. She'd seen Dr. Hough react before, but never like this. She was excited about it, while Amy felt horrible.

The session was long and very emotional for Amy. Facing the harsh realities of her situation wasn't really what she wanted to do today, but knew it was a necessary part of the healing and growth process. What shocked Amy the most was Dr. Hough's response to Callen. She all but told her to have an affair. Amy knew in her heart that she never could and needed to force Callen out of her mind, even though it was the exact opposite of what the doctor had advised. She did promise to think long and hard before making any decisions, but knew she'd abstain from a relationship with Callen.

For the first time since Amy had been seeing Dr. Hough, she gave her a hug. The tears poured from Amy's eyes. At that moment she wished for her mother. Jenny ran over and hugged their knees then ran back and grabbed a box of tissues. When Amy was done and the tears were dried, she felt so much better, exhausted, but better. She thanked Dr. Hough, and left the office.

Amy didn't notice Callen standing by the van until Jenny said, "Look Mommy, it's Callen." And she proceeded to drag Amy across the parking lot.

"Callen what are you doing here?" she asked.

"You left without telling me where you were going so I called Eric and had him track the GPS in your phone." He said with a warm smile that made Amy want to melt.

"I'm sorry. You were at Kathy's and I didn't want to interrupt or be late for my appointment." She said unlocking the van with the remote. "You might want to move, I need to put Jenny in the car."

"Are you ok, you look like you've been crying." He asked looking at her red puffy eyes.

"I was I'm fine. I feel better for it." She said smiling a genuine smile.

"I love to see you smile." He told her. "Are you ready to tell me what's going on?"

"Yes and no. I'm exhausted. I need to go home get Jenny something to eat then I need to lie down for a few minutes. I promise to tell you everything tonight. Rick's on duty tonight, so I can tell you everything after the kids go to bed."

"I didn't know he had duty? When did this come up?" Callen asked.

"He called early this morning to tell me. I don't know what's going on." She told him.

"Hey Jenny, what do you want for lunch?" Callen asked. "I saw a McDonalds a ways back. Sound good?"

"I've got food at home, Callen you don't need to buy her lunch." Amy said.

"I'm not going to be buying just Jenny lunch." He smiled then said. "I saw how little food you have I thought you guys just got paid. Did you go grocery shopping?"

"Yes but we didn't have enough money to get very much." Amy said feeling the tears coming again.

Callen reached for her to pull her into a hug. "How about I take you and the kids out for pizza or something tonight? I haven't done anything for you for your birthday yet."

Amy looked around the parking lot and in the window of Dr. Hough's office. "Not here." She said. "You don't have too. Besides Sam will be back tonight and you guys need to stay around Kathy's house."

"Oh, that reminds me." He said thinking of Hetty's decision. "We'll get lunch and take it back to the house. Are you okay to drive?"

"I'm fine, Callen. Do you want us to follow you over to McDonald's?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I'm going to get lunch for everyone. I don't know if it will all fit in my car." He laughed.

When Amy arrived at home, Sam was waiting out front. "It wasn't locked, Sam." Amy told him. "How was your night at home?"

"It was nice. How were things over here?" he asked.

"Quiet. They didn't come by, or if they did Callen didn't say anything." She told him.

"Where is Callen? Eric said he took off after you." He said with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I had an appointment and he was at Kathy's when I left, so I didn't tell him where I was going he got mad and followed me." She said getting Jenny out of the van.

"You really should've told him where you were going. We're here as much for you as we are for Kathy." He told her and laughed when he saw Callen coming up the street with his arms full of McDonald's bags. Sam looked down at Jenny and asked, "Did you get Uncle Callen to buy you lunch?"

"No, he asked me what I wanted for lunch and said he'd get some for everyone." She smiled up at him holding Amy's hand.

"Need some help there Callen?" Sam asked walking towards him.

"No, just get the door for me over at Kathy's." he said crossing the street.

Amy took hers and Jenny's lunch back to her house so she could lie down after they ate.

Kathy sent her youngest, Megan upstairs to play while she and the adults talked.

"Ok," Kensi started. "Hetty suggested we go ahead and let Calke come over. See what he has to say. Hetty agrees with our idea that he's working with the terrorists to keep himself alive. Kathy will introduce Deeks and me to him and we will be present for the entire conversation. Sam you've got the com's with you right?"

"Yes I do, they're in the Challenger." He said with a mouthful of fries.

"Ok, you and Callen will be at Amy's if we need you." She said.

"I guess you're on point then Kensi." Callen said. "Hey Kathy, what do you have planned for dinner tonight?"

"I haven't even thought of it, why?" she asked taking a bite of her salad.

"Well, Amy's birthday was Friday and I haven't had a chance to do anything for her so I thought I'd take everyone out for pizza." He said.

"I didn't know her birthday was Friday." Kathy said.

"Pizza sounds so good." Deeks said looking at his burger wishing for a slice at that moment.

"What time is Calke supposed to come by?" Callen asked.

"Between four thirty and five." Kensi said.

"Ok, we'll go afterwards. You don't mind if the kids get into bed a little late do you?" he said looking at Kathy, she nodded that she didn't. "Pizza it is then."

"I know of this great little place on Oceanside Boulevard. They make a twenty-eight inch pizza really cheap. I can call ahead and pick it up. Six kids out at a pizza parlor, that's just too much." Kathy said.

"What time is Rick getting home tonight?" Sam asked.

"He's supposedly got duty; called this morning to tell Amy about it." He told them.

Jenny woke-up before Amy did and went downstairs. Callen and Sam were outside talking when she opened the door. She let herself out and sat next to Sam on the porch. Jenny listened to them talk for a little bit before she got down and played with the wood chips in the flower bed. Megan came running across the street to play. Kathy, Kensi and Deeks followed. They talked for a while, before Callen went up to check on Amy.

She was asleep on her side when he came into the room. He walked to the foot of the bed and watched her sleep for a few minutes before he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. Amy was surprised to see him there. He ran his fingers through her hair.

"Callen, you shouldn't be up here like this." She said brushing his hand away.

"I wanted to see if you were awake. Jenny came downstairs about twenty minutes ago. She's out playing with Megan." He told her.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on her. I didn't mean to sleep so long." She said yawning.

"No problem. Your counseling sessions always drain you like this?" he asked looking down at her.

Uncomfortable, Amy sat up. "No, today was especially emotional. I was forced to look at reality, that things between Rick and I will never change."

"What things?" he asked patiently.

Amy sighed and looked at the window. "Not right now, please."

"If you don't want to talk about it now, we can talk about this later." He told her putting his hand over hers.

"If you're up here too long, Sam's going to come looking for you." She told him.

"I know. Are you going to come downstairs?" he asked standing up so she could pull the covers back and get out of bed.

"Yeah, I will. Callen. I think it's going to be best if I tell you after the case is over." She said timidly.

Callen wrapped her in his arms and held her for a few minutes. He heard Amy inhale deeply and exhale. She felt good in his arms and didn't want to let her go. "Why?"

Amy looked up at him and smiled. "What Rick's done has made a lot of people very mad. I don't want to make things uncomfortable while you're staying here."

"Is it that bad?" he asked giving her an odd look.

"Let's just put it this way, he's not welcome at my parent's house and they won't come see us because he's here." She told him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said holding her even tighter.

Callen was about to kiss her again, but they heard the screen door slam and immediately let go. Callen headed downstairs and Amy followed.

They met Jenny at the base of the stairs. "Mommy, can I go to the park?"

"Not by yourself, you know the rules." Amy told her.

"I'm not going alone; Miss Kensi and Mr. Marty said they'd take Megan and me."

"Ok Baby. No throwing the wood chips." She said kneeling for a hug. "Have fun and listen to Kensi and Marty."

"I will Mommy. I love you." She said then kissed Amy and ran out the door.

Callen and Amy joined Kathy and Sam on the porch. They were talking about Sam's time as a Navy Seal. Amy was impressed by what she learned about Sam and thought of her old friend Miguel who had washed out of Seal training because of an injury.

Kathy looked at Amy and said. "I hear your birthday was Friday, Happy belated Birthday."

"Oh, thank you. How are you today?" she asked.

"Not bad. How are you, how was your counseling appointment?"

"Very emotional." She said still feeling the effects.

"Are you doing better for seeing the counselor?" Kathy asked looking concerned.

"Yes, I haven't gotten much feedback, until today." Amy told her.

"What made today so special?" Sam asked.

Amy sighed. "I told her about some new developments."

Callen and Sam looked at each other. The look in Sam's eyes asked Callen if she'd told him anything and Callen shook his head and mouthed the word later.

"I'm sorry Amy. I know you've got a lot going on." Kathy said giving her a hug.

"I've got no more going on than you do, Kathy." Amy told her.

"Everything will work out for the best." Sam told them both.

"Amy, instead of going out for pizza tonight, Kathy suggested we pick it up and bring it back here." Callen said.

"That does sound better. The kids will be able to run around and play if they want." Amy said.

"What do you like on your pizza?" Callen asked her.

"Rick loves bacon." She said.

"Rick's not going to be home tonight. I wasn't asking what he liked on a pizza, I asked what you like." Callen said sternly.

Amy thought for a minute, "I haven't had someone ask me what I wanted on a pizza for years. I just eat what everyone else wants, it makes it easier."

"Amy what do you want on your pizza." Sam chimed in.

"Okay, okay. I get it." She said laughing. "Black olives and sausage."

"Ooh, that sounds good." Kathy said, "Too bad I went vegetarian."

Amy's phone rang. "Hey Kristy."

"Hey Mom I wanted to let you know we're on our way home."

"Okay honey. How was your day?" Amy asked with a smile.

"It was good. I don't have any homework because of the science project due next week so can I play outside with Lauren?"

"Sure, I don't mind. How much homework does Ricky have?"

"I don't know, let me ask him." She said then asked Ricky. "He said he has spelling, math and one of those blue sheets."

"Alright Baby, I'll see you guys when you get home." She said and hung up.

"Does Kristy always call you when she's on her way home?" Sam asked.

"Yes, she calls to let me know she's at school in the mornings too. Call me an over-protective paranoid mother."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Callen smiled.

There it was again, that smile. Amy wished he'd stop smiling at her. Amy wished he'd stop looking at her the way he did. It was going to take every ounce of will power and strength not to act on her feelings. There she admitted it to herself; she wanted to be with Callen in the worst way possible. Rick barely looked at her and rarely touched here and here before her was a man who was doing both. She wondered how he would react when he learned about Rick's affairs and the fact that she stayed with him for the last six years in spite of those affairs. She prayed it wouldn't run him off. Maybe Dr. Hough was right, maybe she did endure two bad marriages to find the one man who would love her the way she deserved. Amy knew it would be years before she was ready for another relationship and doubted Callen would wait. Suddenly her optimism turned to depression. The cycle was endless and she hated it.

Kristy and Ricky were home by three fifteen, Amy just let them play. She figured she'd worry about Ricky's homework later. Amy needed to be outside in the fresh air and sunlight with people who seemed to care about her. Occasionally, Amy would look behind the house or across the park for the Beetle. Callen kept giving her strange looks until he figured out what she was doing.

"I honestly don't think they kept the Beetle." Amy said taking everyone by surprise. Kensi and Deeks came back to the house since Kristy, Lauren and Ricky were at the park.

"What makes you say that?" Sam asked.

"Well, it's too small and they're too obvious. I haven't seen but maybe two of them in housing. They need to pick up something normal." She said looking at Kathy.

"That's true, the last Beetle I saw in housing was the one Aaron had when his wife was in the accident." She said pointing to her neighbor's house. "Look around, all you see are mini-vans, SUV's, trucks and cars. That Beetle sticks out like a sore thumb."

Callen was impressed.

As four thirty approached, the agents began going over their plan again. Instead of Callen and Sam being in Amy's house, they decided Callen would be at the park to keep an eye on the cars coming and going in the neighborhood. Sam elected to stay in the house with Amy and watch from the window. Amy was concerned about the kids staying outside, but Sam convinced her that things needed to be as normal as possible and that Callen would protect the kids if need be.

Being that trust didn't come easily for Amy, she tried the best she could to trust in Callen's word to protect both Amy's and Kathy's children with his life. She saw by the look in his eyes that he was sincere in his promise. Still, Amy worried about stray bullets if a gun fight started. She wanted to be outside with the kids, but thought she'd be a distraction for Callen.

Four thirty came and went with no sign of Calke. Everyone was on edge. At four forty-five, Kathy received a call. Calk was asking to meet with her another day, that something had come up. Everyone was relieved, but frustrated. Callen called Eric to ask if they still had an agent following him. Fortunately, they did. Eric gave Callen his number, so he called him.

"Special Agent Ross, this is Special Agent Callen Gunnery Sergeant Calke was supposed to come by this afternoon. Any idea what came up?" he asked.

"You're not going to believe what I'm seeing." He said and Callen heard the click of a camera's shutter. "He's meeting with our three suspects."

"It is a cordial conversation or does it look like they're going to take him out?"

"No, they're acting like old friends. He's definitely working with them. If I could read lips, I could tell you what they were saying."

"Where are you? We can send Special Agent Blye to you?" he said.

"They're out by the Oceanside Pier. Hold on." He said. Callen heard a pop and gurgling sound.

"Agent Ross, Agent Ross?" he yelled into the phone. Looking at the rest of his team he said. "Ross was made. They shot him."

Callen called Hetty and she ordered them to stay where they were. Callen was furious and the others were not far behind. Amy suggested they put pizza off for another night, but Callen was insisted they do it that night. He said they could all use something to get their minds off the situation. Deeks and Kathy left to pick up the pizzas while Amy, Callen, Kensi and Sam watched the kids. It seemed like all of the kids in the neighborhood were out playing this afternoon. The adults enjoyed watching them run around and play. Ricky, Kathy's son Jeff and the boys next door to Amy were playing Black Ops with their Nerf guns. They were wearing their bicycle helmets, cammies that were miles too big for them and flak jackets minus the sappy plates. As the boys wrestled in the grass, the adults were cheering them on.

Amy hadn't enjoyed herself that much in a long time. Callen noticed that she was all smiles and truly happy. He loved her laugh. Sam caught him on more than just a few occasions watching her. Amy and Kensi were standing together talking when Kathy and Deeks returned with the pizzas. After collecting the kids, they went over to Kathy's to eat. The kids were astonished by the size of the pizzas. Callen took a piece of Amy's half of one of the pizzas and handed it to her. He laughed at the sheer pleasure on her face when she took a bite and got a piece for himself. He had to admit that it was good.

After the kids ate their fill of the huge pizzas, they were off to play some more. Kathy disappeared into the house and returned with a handful of ice cold beer. The agents all looked to Callen on whether or not they could have one. He told them only a couple since they still had to keep watch on the house tonight. Amy excused herself and walked back to the house to get her pack of cigarettes from the garage. Callen followed her over.

"Did you enjoy the pizza?" he asked from the laundry room door.

"I did, thank you." She smiled. "I haven't had olives and sausage in years."

Callen blocked the doorway so Amy couldn't pass. "I'm happy you enjoyed it. I liked it too." He said looking at her with that look; the look that Amy hated to love.

"Callen, why do you keep doing this?" she asked.

"Doing what?" he asked with a devilish smile.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She told him trying not to smile.

"There's something about you." He whispered.

"Callen stop. We've talked about this." She told him. "I will hit you if you don't let me pass."

"Then hit me." He said bracing himself. Instead Amy got on her toes and kissed him. It took him by surprised. Callen pulled her close and kissed her with everything he had. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck. Knowing she would regret this later, she savored the moment. Callens pulled her into the laundry room and pushed her against the dryer. Suddenly Callen stopped and pushed away from her. Amy looked at him and knew instantly what she'd done was a mistake.

"I'm sorry." She said pushing him aside and going up stairs.

Callen stood there confused not knowing whether to leave her alone or go after her. He leaned on the wall replaying what just happened in his head. He couldn't believe she'd kissed him. It was everything and more than he'd imagined. He really needed to stop cornering her like this; he truly got more than he'd bargained for this time. Finally Callen decided to go check on Amy.

Her door was cracked open, he knocked lightly. "Amy can we talk?"

"Callen, I think talking will just make this worse." She said.

He pushed the door open and found her sitting on the edge of the bed. "Why did you kiss me? I thought you said there couldn't be anything between us."

"Like you said, it felt like the right thing. It was a momentary lapse of judgment and it won't happen again."

"Why won't you tell me what's going on with you and Rick?" he asked.

"I want to," she said leaning into him.

Callen put his arm around her. "I think you'd feel better."

"No, I think it will just make me feel worse." She laughed. "Go back out; I'll be there in a few minutes."

Callen got up and kissed the top of her head before going down stairs. Sam was coming in the door, "I thought you two were coming back out. What were you doing?"

"We were talking; I'm trying to get her to tell me what's going on between her and Rick." Callen said.

"Were you talking or were you kissing?" Sam asked.

Callen knew he'd been caught. "This time she kissed me."

"This time? G what the hell is wrong with you? Didn't Hetty call and talk to you about this?" Sam said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why did you have to call Hetty? Damn it Sam."

"Amy is married. Off limits, what part of that don't you understand? I thought you were smarter than this." He said throwing his arms up.

"Something is going on with her, Hetty asked us to find out what it is." Callen said.

"Yes, she asked us to find out, not play kissey face with her like a couple of high school kids."

"Sam, I'm this close." Callen gestured. "This close to finding out what's going on."

"You're going about it the wrong way." Sam told him.

"Then you talk to her about it. See if she tells you anything." Callen told him and walked out the door.

Amy was coming down the stairs as Sam was heading up. "We need to talk." he told her.

"I know, let's go out to the garage." She said.

"I'm going to cut to the chase, what is going on between you and your husband?" Sam asked sitting across from her.

"Rick's been cheating on me." She said matter-of-factly.

"For how long?" he asked.

"Six years." She answered.

"Six years?" he asked astonished.

"Yes and he has a five month old daughter." She added.

"Why are you still here?" he asked in a softer tone.

"I have no job, no money and no place to go." She said tears welling in her eyes.

"Is that the only reason?"

"No I loved him and thought if I stayed and tried to make things work that he'd pull his head out of his ass, but he hasn't." she said lighting her cigarette.

"Is he still doing it?" Sam asked feeling horrible for pressing the issue.

"As of about three weeks ago yes he was. He meets these women on the internet. I don't know how many he actually meets in person or how many he's actually slept with." She said.

"I had no idea, I'm sorry. Can I ask you one more thing?"

"I already know the question. Yes, I've been completely faithful to him. Until now, that is. Callen's the first man I've met that I've been interested in. It might be that he's just saying everything I need or want to hear. I'm trying not to have there be anything go on between Callen and I. I have to admit, it's getting harder and harder by the day." She told him.

"I don't know what to say. I commend you on staying for so long, though I don't understand why. I also think it says a lot that you've not cheated on him in retaliation."

"I'm not like a lot of other women. I have very strict morals and values. A lot of people criticize me for it. The mother of Rick's baby calls me a gold-digging doormat."

"Why?" he laughed.

"Because I've known about it for so long and haven't done anything about it. It's not like I sat back and let him do it. I did my fair share of investigating. I called these women, I brought everything I found to Rick's attention and he lied about it. Then he would promise not to do it again. It was stupid of me to trust that he wouldn't."

"How have the kids handled this?" he asked.

"They were young enough when he started that they didn't know the difference. It got bad while we were in North Carolina. That's where he met the baby's mother. It's really starting to affect them now. We've got less money because he's paying child support. Poor Ricky thinks Rick had the baby because he doesn't love us anymore. Kristy's been such a trooper. I've not withheld any information about what he's doing. She's taking it in stride, but I know it weighs on her."

"What are your plans; are you going to stay with him?" Sam asked praying she wasn't going to stay.

"As soon as I find a job, a place to stay and some money ahead, I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore. I couldn't do any worse if I were on my own. Rick's going to Texas after he gets out so I don't know how custody is going to go." She told him.

"When's his EAS?" Sam asked.

"Right now, it's January." She said taking a drag of her cigarette.

"Why do you say right now?" Sam looked at her curiously.

"The baby's mother contacted his command. The C.O has recommended a Special Court Marshall. Rick's attorney asked for a reduction to and NJP, but the CO said no. The last Rick told me was that they were going to a General Court Marshall, but Rick been known to tell outlandish tales."

"I don't know how you've done it, Amy. You're a strong woman. I didn't expect all of this. I'm sorry I made you tell me."

"No, I needed to tell you guys. I know Hetty's looking for answers. I should've just called her myself." She said taking Sam by surprise.

"How do you know about Hetty asking us…" he stopped himself. "Yeah, you've told Callen and I before to not be so loud."

"Look, I did kiss Callen, but he's kissed me twice. I know it's wrong and I will do everything in my power not to let it happen again. Once he hears about all of this, he'll probably run for the hills. I do ask; because I still have to live with Rick; that you don't say anything to him." She told him.

"I think Callen will surprise you. I won't say anything to Rick and I will pass it along to Callen. Do you want me to tell him?" he asked

"Would you mind? I don't think I can." She said.

"Not a problem, Amy. I will." He said pulling her out of the chair and into a hug. "I'm so sorry Amy. You're one hell of a woman. Callen would be lucky to have you, once you're not married."

"I doubt Callen will wait." She said.

"You never know. You coming back out?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." She told him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After getting the kids in bed, Amy sat at the top of the stairs listening to Sam tell Callen what she'd told him. She was too embarrassed to go down and face him herself. Callen didn't have much to say as Sam explained. Her heart sunk lower and lower the longer he was silent. Finally she heard him as Sam a question. It was the same question she'd been asking herself for years. Why did she stay? There were a thousand ways to answer that, but everyone seemed more idiotic than the next. Truth be told she was scared. After several threats from Rick that he would take the kids from her or that he would kill himself without them, Amy resigned herself to stay.

Amy wished he would say something, anything more than ask questions. She wanted to know exactly what he thought of her now. Knowing this would change his views of her in the worst way. She went down stairs and instead of going and sitting with them, she went directly into the garage. Amy heard them calling after her, but ignored them. If she could've locked the garage door, she would have. She wasn't ready to face them. She didn't know if she could ever face Callen again. Amy wanted her last memory of Callen to be the way he looked at her, when she saw love in his eyes. This seemed like a fitting punishment for her even thinking about another man, let-alone kissing him.

She heard footsteps in the laundry room and prayed for whoever it was to go away. Amy just wanted to be left alone to wallow in her self-loathing and pity. The door opened and she heard the footsteps in the garage.

"Please just go away." She said not interested in knowing who it was.

"Are you okay? He asked.

Amy's heart sank. It was Callen. "Just leave me alone, please. I don't have anything to say. You know what's going on now. Just forget you ever met me."

Callen laughed. "Do you really think I can forget you?"

"That's what you need to do." She told him looking anywhere but at him.

"Amy look at me." He whispered.

"No, just go back in the house." She said almost crying.

"Why don't you want to talk to me?" he asked kneeling beside the recliner.

Amy tried to get up, but he stopped her. She still avoided looking at him. "I don't want to talk about it, especially with you."

"So that's how it's going to be?" he asked.

"Yep," she said taking a drag of her cigarette.

Callen sat there watching her. Not knowing what to do. Yes he was mad, but not with her. She still didn't look at him so he stood and turned back towards the door. "Amy, just do you know I'm not mad at you. I don't hold any of it against you."

"Just go," she yelled. "Can't you just let me smoke a damned cigarette?"

He backed away watching her and saw tears run down her face.

"G," Sam said from the door, "We've got company."

"Who is it?" Callen shot up and asked.

"Looks like Calke. Same make and model as his truck." Sam told him.

Callen pulled his phone out of his pocket and immediately called Hetty. "I'm sorry for calling so late, but it looks like Gunnery Sergeant Calke decided to come for a visit after all."

"Do not touch him unless he's armed and do not use lethal force. We need him alive." She told him.

"Alright," Callen said looking at Sam. "Call Kensi and tell her we can only touch him if he's armed. Shoot to injure, not kill. Hetty wants him alive."

"Mr. Callen, make sure Amy and the kids stay up stairs. Same goes for Kathy Mason. Keep them upstairs."

"Got it, Hetty. We'll let you know how it goes." He told her and hung up. "Amy up stairs now, just stay away from the windows."

"Are the girls okay in Kristy's room or should I move them into Jenny's?" she asked before he pushed her out of the garage and to the stairs.

"They should be okay. Stay upstairs no matter what you hear. One of us will be up to let you know when it's safe." He told her.

"Be careful," She said and went up the stairs.

Sam came to the stairs, "G let's go."

"Sam, please be careful." Amy told from the top of the stairs.

Amy slid down the wall between Ricky and Kristi's rooms and cried. She hated being so mean to Callen, but she had no choice. He deserved better than her. He needed to forget about her. She hoped they were done with this case soon so she could try to forget about him.

Callen and Sam were waiting for Kensi's signal, one hand on the door. Callen gave a momentary thought to Amy upstairs, and then was completely focused on Calke. "Kensi, Deeks talk to me." He said.

"He's looking in the windows, checking to see if they're unlocked. He's already checked the front door." Kensi told him in a whisper.

"Sam, should we have them unlock the back door so he's at least in the house and has no place to run?" Callen asked.

"Yeah, unlock the front door so we can get in, too." Sam said.

"Got it." Kensi said unlocking the front door. "Deeks unlock the back and then go tell Kathy to keep the kids upstairs no matter what she hears."

Deeks made his way up to the master bedroom and back down again before Calke made it into the back yard. He situated himself on the stairs half-way up and waited. Kensi was in the entry to the downstairs bathroom.

"Sam, I'll take the front, you go in the back." Callen said and Sam nodded.

"He's in the backyard." Kensi said over the com.

Sam opened the door and headed into the front yard. The two ran across the street; Sam headed for the back while Callen stopped at the garage and then onto the front door.

"Where is he Kensi? Does he have a weapon?" Callen whispered.

"Checking the window in the family room. Yes, I see a weapon. Looks like a nine-mil." She told them.

"Screen door just opened." Deeks whispered.

"Door's opening." Kensi said ready to take him down...

"Sam, go. Don't let him get back out that door. Remember, Injure not kill. We need him alive." Callen said with the screen door already open. "Say when Kensi."

"G, he's in the house. I'm coming up behind him." Sam whispered.

"Go" Callen said.

"Federal Agents Drop your Weapon." Sam yelled.

Callen threw the front door open and went directly to the family room, dining room area, thankful Kathy's house and Amy's were the same. Kensi was in the family room with her gun raised. Deeks was on the stairwell. Sam was on top of Calke wrestling to get his weapon from him. He was able to separate his hands and smashed his head into Calke's. Calke eyes rolled back into his head and his limbs fell lifeless. Sam flipped him over and put flex cuffs on his wrists. Callen put his pistol back in his holster and called Hetty.

"We've got him. He's going to have a headache, but he's alive." Callen told her.

"Well done. PMO is on their way over to pick him up and take him to the NCIS office on base."

"Alright." Callen said looking out the door. He stepped out as a patrol car pulled up. He walked out to the car as the officer got out. "Thank you for coming, I'm Special Agent Callen"

"Sergeant Roberts" He said shaking Callen's hand "Not a problem, is he ready for transport?"

"Yeah, he should be. He may a slight concussion, though. One of my agents had to head-butt him to get him to drop his weapon."

"Let me call and have a Corpsman waiting for us at your office to check him out." He said stopping inside the door.

Callen went into the dining room and found Calke awake, sitting up leaning against the wall. He nodded to Sam who hauled him to his feet and let him to the waiting officer. When the officer finished with his call, he collected Calke and the pistol and took him out to his car. Sam and Callen followed to talk to the officer.

"We're going to go talk to him now instead of waiting." Callen told Sam.

"Good. I want to get this over with. See what he knows."

Callen walked back into Kathy's house to make sure everything was okay. Kensi, Deeks and Kathy were in the kitchen talking when he walked in. "You guys okay over here?"

"Yep, we're good." Kensi told him with a smile.

"Good job tonight, Kens." He said patting her on the back.

"Kathy, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Wide awake and ready to go. That was awesome. Remind me not to ever mess with Sam. I saw him take the Gunny down." She laughed.

"Okay, get some sleep you guys. Sam and I are going to head over to the office on base to talk to him. Could one of you check in on Amy every once in a while?" he asked as he went to the door. "Sam, I'm going to go tell Amy everything's over and that we're going to be gone a while."

"Okay. I'll get the car." He said walking away.

Amy was five steps from the bottom of the stairs when she heard the door open. She went running up the stairs, but Callen caught her.

"Hey, I thought we told you to stay upstairs." He said watching her.

"I heard PMO." She said going back up the stairs and into her room.

"Sam and I are going to go talk to him; we'll be back as soon as we can. Try to get some sleep. Kensi and Deeks will be in and out until we get back." He said, but Amy never came back out of her room.

Gunnery Sergeant Calke was checked over and deemed healthy. He was escorted to a very drab interrogation room with no more than a table and a few chairs in the middle. The walls were painted a very pale grey color. Callen and Sam were ready to go talk to him when another Agent walked up and handed them a manila folder.

"Special Agent Ross was able to upload these photos to the server before he was shot. Thought you two would like to see them." He said waiting for a response as Callen and Sam looked at them. Both men smiled the further they got into the stack. There were shots of the four men on the pier, the new vehicle the three suspects were driving and the prize winning shot, Awan passing Calke the pistol.

"Thank you very much; these will come in very handy." Callen told him as he opened the door.

"Hello Gunnery Sergeant how's the head?" Sam taunted as he walked in.

"Fine no thanks to you." he asked.

"We need you to answer some questions." Callen said dropping the envelope on the table then seated himself across from the Gunnery Sergeant. "Can you tell us why you went to the Mason's with a gun?"

"I heard through the grapevine that they were in some kind of danger. I was just going in to make sure they were okay." He told them fumbling with the shackles around his wrists. "Is there any way you guys can either take these off or loosen them?"

"We might be able to if you tell us about your friends." Callen told him taking a picture of Calke with Momahedzai, Raisini and Awan.

Calke looked at the picture and swallowed hard. "Um, those guys? I met them a few months ago when I started teaching classes at the range in town."

"Do you guys hang out much?" Sam asked in a condescending tone.

Sam walked behind Calke making him extremely nervous. "No, we don't hang out at all. I ran into them at the Pier last night. They bought me a few drinks. We shot the shit for a few hours."

"If you want to salvage what's left of your career or ever work another day in your life again, you'll tell us everything you know about them." Callen said as he laid out the picture of Awan passing him the pistol then leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't you mean outside the walls of Leavenworth?" Sam said resting his hands on the table right in front of Calke.

"Shit, I've already screwed myself enough. Tell me what do you guys know and I'll fill in the rest?" Calke asked.

"I'd rather you just told us everything you know." Callen told him. They fished for information by giving him as little information as possible and Calke sang like a canary. They found out that the three hired him Calke and Willis to advise them in planning their attack. While he didn't know where they were planning on hitting, he did know it was coming soon. When asked why they were planning this attack, Calke told them if was in retaliation for the killings of thousands of innocent lives in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They saw the slaughter of military families as an acceptable compensation. As for exactly who they worked for, Calke said he did not know. Sam asked him why he agreed to help them kill his fellow Americans and Calke's response was merely for the money.

They asked him about his association with Staff Sergeant Mason's death. He told them that the Marine involved in the accident was paid a very large sum of money for make the accident look just like that, an accident. Sam asked about what he knew about the murder of the Willis family. Calke said that he advised the three suspects not to kill him, that he would keep his mouth shut for the right price. They came to the conclusion that his price was too high.

Calke offered up the information that Mohanedzai, Raisini and Awan were staying at the Best Western off the five and Oceanside Boulevard, but didn't know what room they were staying in. Callen mentioned the body found in the trunk of the Honda and Calke knew nothing about it. After three hours of talking with Calke, they had gained a wealth of knowledge.

PMO took him to the Brig, Callen and Sam called Hetty. They passed all the information off to her so Eric and Nell so they could do what they do best. These were the best leads they'd had in the case so far and it felt good. Callen asked if they'd gotten any information on the identity of the John Doe from the Honda. As luck would have it, he was identified as a Homeless Vietnam Veteran by the name of Christopher Rouche. His family had been notified and they were due to have his body transported to a mortuary in Wisconsin for burial. After Vista PD interview a handful of other homeless in the area, they found out that Staff Sergeant Willis and his wife had occasionally offered Rouche a home cooked meal, hot shower and warm place to sleep. Exactly how he wound up dead in the trunk remained a mystery.

Hetty told them to go back to Amy's to get some sleep, and then inform Kensi and Deeks of the new information later. Without being told twice, they left. When they got back to Amy's Callen went right to the living room couch and lay down.

Sam sat in one of the black chairs next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." he said taking off his shoes and throwing them in the corner.

"Give her some time, G." He told Callen.

"She told me to forget about her." Callen said looking over at Sam.

Sam could see the hurt in his face. "It's a defensive mechanism. All she knows how to do is build walls. She shuts out everything that could possibly hurt her. Can you blame her?"

Callen sighed and put his hands behind his head, "No, I can't. She wouldn't even look at me. She yelled at me."

"I think just give her some she'll come back around." He told Callen

"I hope so. She's a pretty unforgettable person." He smiled.

"Yeah, I have to admit she is." Sam agreed.

Amy was up with her alarm at six and on her way to get Ricky up when Kristi came out of the bathroom. She said good morning to her. Ricky was asleep on his stomach and Amy got in bed with him and cuddled with him. He rolled over and put his arm around her. She loved the cuddle time with Ricky. Amy lay with him like that for fifteen minutes before he got up and got dressed.

She went down stairs to make a cup of coffee and found Sam making her a cup. "I thought I'd return the favor for once." He smiled as he handed her a mug. "You better this morning?

"I don't know. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. How did it go last night?" she asked.

"Very well," he smiled. "We got a lot of good information from Calke."

"Good." She smiled.

Kristi came down the stairs behind Amy and gave her a hug. Amy reached around and returned the hug then kissed her on the cheek. "How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Pretty good. Why was PMO here?" she asked.

Sam came to the base of the stairs, "We were able to catch a very bad man earlier this morning."

"Oh okay." She said slipping past Amy to go to the family room.

Ricky was down five minutes later and gave Amy a hug too. She offered him some of her coffee and he gladly chugged half of it.

Amy excused herself and went out to smoke. She saw Callen lying on the couch as she passed. She wanted to apologize for last night, but decided it was best if she just left it alone. Amy stayed as far away from Callen as she could.

Callen saw her going out to the garage and wanted to talk to her, but remembered what Sam said earlier about giving her some space. He got up and got a cup of coffee before he asked Sam how he thought she was doing.

"She's upset. She looked in there as she passed the living room." Sam told him.

"I know, I saw. I want to go out and talk to her." He said looking back at the garage.

"No G, just leave her alone. She'll come to you when she's ready to talk."

"And if she never talks to me?" Callen asked.

Breakfast was delivered to Gunnery Sergeant Calke just after six thirty and within thirty minutes; he was on the floor in a seizure. Three cells over, another Marine; Staff Sergeant David Auts had also gone into convulsions. While some of the guards rushed into the cells, other called for an ambulance. Their trays were collected and bagged as possible evidence. EMT's arrived in record time and took the two to the Emergency room. As the minutes passed, their seizures became worse and more violent. It took several orderlies and multiple tries to attempt to administer a dose of Diazepam. Every time either man would stop seizing a nurse would attempt the injection. The stick of the needle would cause them to seize again and harder, breaking the needles; Sending trays, IV poles and anything within a close proximity to the gurney crashing to the floor. As the hour passed, no matter what the doctors and nurses tried, they were met with a seizure worse than the previous one. In spite of their greatest efforts, the men died an hour and a half after their arrival.

Callen received the call at seven fifteen; he and Sam took off for the Naval Hospital. They could hear the chaos from the waiting room and hoped Calke survived. Just after nine thirty, a doctor came out and asked them into the triage area. He explained what had happened from the time the EMT's picked them up at the Brig till their deaths were called just minutes before. Callen asked what could have contributed to their deaths and the Doctor stated that it was most likely Strychnine poisoning, but the Coroner would be able to tell them more after their autopsies.

From the hospital, they went to the Brig. Callen called Hetty on the way. They were met by the same agent who gave them the photos earlier that morning. He formally introduced himself as Richard Wrath. He told Callen and Sam that he's sending their food trays off to the lab for testing. The three walked out to the Challenger, away from the crowd. It was there he told them that the other Marine who died is the man accused of actually causing Staff Sergeant Mason's accident. He had been in the brig for several months and had no clue how whoever their killer was got to them. Callen asked for a list of everyone who would've had access to their food that morning. Wrath agreed.

They spent the next two hours interviewing the Chow Hall staff and found that the morning's delivery juices and dairy products were made by men none of them recognized. Sam showed them a picture of Mohamedzai, Raisini and Awan. They were only able two positively identify two of their suspects; Mohamedzai and Raisini. Wrath called the company who delivers to the chow hall to find that the truck scheduled for that route was stolen while they were at a delivery at another location.

Wrath said that he and his team would handle talking to the driver of the delivery truck and let them know what they found. Sam and Callen drove back to Kathy's to talk with Kensi and Deeks. The news wasn't received well. Kathy was furious. She felt now that there would never be justice for her husband's death. The team did their best to convince her that there would be vindication once they caught Mohamedzai, Raisini and Awan, but she was only mildly pacified by that.

"My question is; how did they know what was going to be served to the Staff Sergeant and Gunny?" Kensi said.

"I don't know. Mohamedzai and Raisini were the only two identified. Awan wasn't seen. There had to have been someone on the inside. Maybe Awan was posing as one of the Chow Hall workers." Callen told her.

"Who delivers the food, someone from the Chow Hall or the MP's?" Deeks asked.

"Don't know, it's worth talking to Wrath about." Callen said dialing his number. "Hey Wrath, it's Callen. I was wondering if you have anything new. I also have a couple questions for you."

"Yes, I talked to the delivery driver and he said there were three men hanging around the delivery area at the Chow Hall where he made his last delivery."

"Ok, that answers where Awan was. Who delivers the meals to the inmates?" He asked.

"That would be one of the MP's. Are you thinking there's someone on the inside?"

"Yes. I think Awan got the trays ready and made it a point to tell the Marine delivering the trays whose was whose. We need to start talking to the guards." Callen told him.

"I'll get my team on it right away." Wrath told him and hung up.

Callen turned his attention back to his own team. "The trays are distributed by one of the guards. Wrath's team is going to start questioning them."

"Doesn't Ricky have speech therapy today?" Sam asked.

"Yes, he does." Callen answered. "I don't know what time or where it is."

Sam laughed. "You'd better go find out before she just bails on us again."

"I should." He said walking out the door. Amy and Jenny were sitting on the front porch when he walked over.

"Hi Callen." Jenny said running out to meet him.

"Hey Jenny, how are you?" he asked after Jenny took his hand.

"Good. We're waiting for Bubba and Sissy." She told him.

"Hey Amy, what time is Ricky's appointment?" he asked stopping at the porch.

"We'll be leaving between two and two fifteen." She said trying to block the sun with her hand.

"I'd like someone to go with you. If you don't want it to be me, I can see if someone else wants go." He said smiling at her.

Amy thought for a minute. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm sure we'll be fine."

Callen sat on the bench next to Amy. "I can ask one of the others to go with you; I don't want you to go alone."

"We'll be fine, Callen." She told him

"I have a feeling Hetty's going to want us back in the office soon." He told her.

"That's probably for the best." Amy said looking down; she swallowed hard trying to choke back the tears.

"I'm going to miss seeing you every day." He said trying to get something other than the cold shoulder from him.

"You really need to stop." She told him.

Callen sighed. "If that's what you really want."

"I don't know what I want." She said and saw Sam watching them from Kathy's door.

"I know." He said brushing her hair behind her ear.

Amy inched away from him. "You're making it harder than it needs to be."

Ricky and Kristi walked past the van and Jenny ran towards them screaming in delight. Callen and Amy laughed at the surprise on their faces. Amy took the kids inside to do homework. Callen stayed on the porch thinking. Amy spent the majority of her time helping Ricky with his homework while trying not to think about Callen leaving.

Callen's phone rang, Hetty's name flashed on the caller ID and he knew what she was going to tell him. With a sigh, he answered. "Hello Hetty."

"Good afternoon Mr. Callen. How are you doing?"

"A little upset about losing out informant, but otherwise okay."

"Yes, it is a shame. Mr. Callen, I would like to see Mrs. Mason and her children placed at one of our safe houses. We need you and the team back in the office on Monday."

"I knew you were going to say that. What about Amy?" he asked.

"I don't see that Amy and her family are in any danger. If it makes you feel better, I can ask that patrols be stepped up in her neighborhood."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Hetty. I think we should keep on with how we're handling it now." He told her worrying about Amy and the kids.

"Mr. Callen, I appreciate your concern for Amy's safety, but I think you're letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment." She told him, regretting asking him to get close to Amy.

"Possibly, but I still think we should stay here." He argued.

"Mr. Callen, Amy will be fine. She's in no danger."

"We don't know that. Just because they haven't tried to get to her so far doesn't mean anything. If they do come back here and find that Kathy isn't here, they may target her." He added.

"Mr. Callen, my decision is final. Back in the office on Monday, no ifs, ands, or buts. Understand me?"

"I've got some information for you about what's going on with Amy and Rick." He told her.

"Monday Mr. Callen, you can tell me then." she told him.

Gritting his teeth, Callen agreed and hung up. He tossed his phone on the bench next to him. He went over to Kathy's to tell the rest of the team.

Sam could tell when he walked in that it wasn't good. Callen explained everything to Sam, Kensi, Deeks and Kathy, who agreed with Callen on remaining there and protecting Amy.

"What if I refuse to leave, does that mean you have to stay here to protect us?" Kathy asked worrying about Amy as well.

"I doubt it. If you refuse to go to the safe house, they might just leave you here and let PMO or agents from the office on base provide you with protection." He told her.

"Then why can't they do that for Amy and her kids?" She asked.

"Hetty has offered to have the MP's step up their patrol in the neighborhood. Amy and the kids were never in any real danger. We were just there in the event our suspects saw her taking the pictures. Hetty seems to think since they haven't tried to get to them now, that they won't." he said.

"Well, I don't feel safe leaving Amy unprotected." Sam said.

"I think Hetty only wanted us at Amy's for surveillance and that little thing she talk to you and I about, Sam." He told Sam.

"You didn't tell her anything, did you? Did Amy call her?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so and I didn't tell her anything except that I had information for her." Callen answered.

Kensi, Deeks and Kathy stared at them lost. "Hey guys, what are you talking about?" Kensi interrupted.

"Nothing." Callen snapped. "I'm sorry. I just don't agree with Hetty's decision."

"G, I can stop here every night on the way home if that makes you feel better." Sam offered.

"I don't know what to do. Right now Amy won't even talk to me." He told Sam.

"Do you really think they'll go after Amy if I'm not here?" Kathy asked.

"I don't know. There is that possibility." He answered. "Either way, I don't want to take any chances."

Kathy stood there shaking her head in disbelief. "We can't just leave them here."

"We'll figure something out, we've got until Monday." Callen told her.

"Alright, we can all spend one night here a week until we catch these guys." Kensi said looking at the other three agents.

"No, we've just got to get these guys as soon as we can. This weekend's pay day weekend, I think Amy's right that these guys will try something this weekend." Callen said.

"All we can do is try." Sam said looking around the room.

Callen looked at his watch "Amy's going to need to leave in a few minutes. Do one of you want to go to Ricky's appointment with her?"

They all looked at each other not understanding what was going on between them. "No, you go G. See if she'll talk to you." Sam told him.

Callen walked across the street to find Amy loading the kids in the van. "I'm sorry, you're stuck with me. I drew the short straw." He laughed trying to get a reaction out of her.

"Alright. Let's go before it gets any later." She said getting in herself.

Callen got in the passenger seat and shut the door. "I hope you're a better driver then Kensi."

Amy just looked at him trying not to smile as she backed out of the driveway.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hetty rarely second guessed her decisions, yet this time she was. If something happened to Amy and the kids, she'd never forgive herself. She wondered if Callen's resistance was due to his feelings for her or if he truly felt Amy was in danger. Hetty called Nell downstairs to her office.

"Yes Hetty?" she said walking up to her desk.

"Is there any new Intel? Particularly mentioning the woman; Amy; across the street from the Mason's?" she asked.

"No, not that I've seen, why?" Nell asked giving Hetty a strange look.

"I've decided to have the Mason's place into one of our safe houses and bring the team back to the office on Monday. Mr. Callen seems concerned about Amy's safety. I'm just being sure I'm not pulling them from Pendleton too soon." Hetty explained.

"You don't trust Callen's judgment? If he thinks she's in danger, she could be." Nell said with her tablet cradled in her arms.

"I do trust his judgment, I just think there are extenuating circumstances as to why he wants to remain at Pendleton." She told her looking around the empty office.

Nell gave her another strange look. "Hetty, it's not like they're charging a lot to their expenditure accounts, they could stay out there a while longer if you're worried about expenses. We've got just a couple other cases, but nothing as pressing as this. Eric and I have already started working on the other cases when we're not busy with this one."

Hetty looked at her and smiled. "I knew there was a reason I hired you, Ms. Jones. How close do you think we are to solving the Mason case?"

"Honestly, I have to agree with Amy and Callen that something will probably happen this weekend. It's just a matter of where. Eric's tapped into the cameras in and around the areas she's suggested, but hasn't seen anything out of the ordinary." Nell told her.

"Thank you, Ms. Jones. I'll take that into consideration." She told Nell and picked up her phone. Hetty dialed Sam's number. She watched Nell walk away while waiting for Sam to answer.

"Mr. Hanna, I know Mr. Callen was quite upset when I told him that I wanted all of you back in the office on Monday. Is that strictly a personal point of view or do you see a legitimate threat to Amy?"

"None of us are happy about the decision, including Kathy. To be honest, we don't know if they'll try to go after Amy if they come back and find Kathy gone. I'd rather not even chance it, Hetty." He told her.

Hetty sighed. "Is Kathy going to willingly go to the safe house?"

"She's voiced that she doesn't want to go if we're going to leave Amy without at least someone here. I think Callen's planning on coming back every night if we don't get these guys by Monday." He told her looking from Kensi to Deeks to Kathy.

"Alright Mr. Hanna, let's see how the rest of the week plays out. If by the weekend nothing happens, we'll re-evaluate the situation. Now, Callen mentioned that he had news about Amy. Do you know what it is?" she asked sitting back in her chair; preparing for the news.

Sam looked at the faces staring back at him and excused himself. Stepping onto the front porch he told her everything Amy had told him. Needless to say she was not happy, but already knew everything he was telling her. Hetty was so thankful Amy's house would be ready next week. She thanked Sam for his input on the situation and hung up.

Sam went back into the house and sat his phone on the counter. He told them about Hetty's hopeful change of heart. Everyone was happy. Still, they were under tremendous pressure to get these guys as soon as possible. Kensi asked if they should call Callen, but after looking at his watch, Sam decided to tell him when they got back.

Amy didn't say much to Callen while they waited for Ricky. Callen took advantage of one of the girls' trips to the bathroom to try to talk to her.

"Amy, can you please talk to me?" he asked.

Amy sighed and looked at him. "Honestly Callen, what is there to talk about?"

"Anything, I hate this awkwardness between us." He told her.

"I'm sorry. I just think it's best if we distance ourselves from each other." She said looking out the window.

"Hetty wants us back in the office on Monday morning. She said she'll have PMO patrol more often, but you won't have the protection you have now." He told her.

"I don't think we were ever in any real danger."

"There is still the possibility they saw you taking the pictures. If we take Kathy to a safe house, they may come after you."

Amy looked at him biting her lip as she thought. "Lord, I do a wonderful job of getting myself into some shit, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do." He laughed.

"God, I've got to have the absolute worst luck." She smiled, shaking her head.

"Hopefully that luck starts changing." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You've got to do whatever Hetty tells you." She told him.

"Sam offered to stop by your house on his way to and from the office. I was thinking I would have him drop me off and I'd stay at your house every night until these guys are arrested." He said hoping she would go for it.

"No, I think we'll be fine. The less time we spend together the better." She paused and looked at her nails.

"You keep saying that, why? Why did you tell me I needed to forget you?" He asked turning in the passenger seat to face her.

"You have to, Callen. Having you around is such a temptation. I have no idea why you're even interested in me to begin with. I have nothing to offer you." She told him trying not to look at him.

"Honestly, there are at least a hundred reasons why I'm interested in you. You're a beautiful woman, you're smart," With that comment Amy rolled her eyes, Callen continued. "Yeah, you've got some issues you need to work out, but you're a wonderful mother and a great cook."

"Callen, if I'm so damn smart, why the hell am I still with Rick?" She asked looking directly at him now.

"That's something only you can answer, Amy." He told her touching her cheek.

"I don't even know why anymore." She told him looking at the window.

"What time is Ricky's appointment over?" He asked.

Looking at the clock on the dashboard she said. "In about five minutes. I should probably go meet him."

Callen watched Amy walk up to the office in the side mirror. Jenny and Kristi passed her on the way out and got in the van leaving the sliding door open. He saw Amy talking to a woman who he assumed was the speech therapist and then she and Ricky walked back out to the van.

Sam walked back over to Amy's house as Rick was pulling into the driveway. They talked for a while until Amy got back. The kids were off to play, so Callen and Amy walked up to join Sam and Rick. Rick already had a beer in his hand. Amy listened to Rick tell them the grandiose stories from his night on duty, not believing a word he was saying.

"Oh Amy, the C.O. wants everyone going to 29 Palms, so it looks like I'll be gone from April twenty second to May tenth." Rick told her.

Amy thought it was the perfect opportunity for Rick to go see one of his girlfriends. She elected not to say anything, and then saw Callen looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Amy looked up at him and he asked if she was ok, she told him she'd tell him about it later. She wondered if Callen was thinking the same thing she was.

At four, Amy went into the house to start dinner, with Callen following her in. Before he could even ask her what was wrong, she told him. "Three weeks in 29 Palms? I wouldn't doubt he if goes to see one of his girlfriends while he's gone."

Callen laughed, "I was thinking the same thing. Do you think he was really on duty last night?"

"I don't know. He is home early, but I've found that the more outlandish the story the more likely it is that he's made it up. I know some strange stuff happens at the barracks, but really? Rick's not even supposed to be standing duty." She said getting the chicken out of the refrigerator.

"Why can't he stand duty?" Callen asked.

They heard the front door open and Sam and Rick's voices, Amy shook her head and told him. "I'll tell you later."

"What are you making for dinner?" Rick asked.

"I'm going to bake some chicken I've had in that seasoning the kids like so much." She told him pulling the foil from the drawer.

"What are you making with it?" he asked.

"I was thinking some rice pilaf and some kind of vegetable." She said to him as she placed the chicken on the baking sheet then putting the tongs in the sink and poured the marinade down the drain before she threw out the bag.

"That smells good," Sam said walking over to the baking sheet.

"Wait till you taste it." Rick told him.

Amy put the chicken in the oven and opened the refrigerator taking out three beers and handed one to Callen and Sam. "I know you guys have had a long day. You deserve one." Callen and Sam both thanked her.

"So what happened last night while I was gone?" Rick asked grabbing another beer from the fridge.

They all walked out to the garage so Amy could smoke while they talked. Rick was happy to hear that they'd gotten Gunnery Sergeant Calke before he could hurt Kathy or the kids. He sympathized with their anger and frustration over his death. Amy paid very little attention to what Rick was saying. Her mind was on Callen and their conversation in the van. Occasionally, she would look at them and stopped at Callen, who watched her intently. She could feel the heat from his stare from across the garage.

Kensi, Deeks and Kathy joined them in the garage. They all talked for a while about nothing in particular. It was just nice to get out and socialize. Amy went back in the house to grab another round of beers from the fridge. Kensi followed her in.

"So how are you doing with everything that's going on?" Kensi asked holding the refrigerator door open.

"I'm not too bad, how about you?" Amy asked her wondering what exactly she was talking about, the case or personally.

"I do like not being in the office, but getting really tired of staring at Deeks all day." She laughed taking a few of the beers from Amy.

"Is he really that bad?" Amy asked laughing.

"He can be. I wouldn't be surprised if Kathy's ready to gauge her eyes out every time he opens his mouth." Kensi laughed.

"Well, if you ever feel like you're going to gauge your eyes out, you're always welcome over here." Amy told her as they walked back into the garage.

When dinner was ready, Amy excused herself and went in to get the plates ready. Kensi, Deeks and Kathy went with Rick to get the kids and then headed back across the street to have dinner. Callen and Sam chatted while they were gone. Amy brought the kids plates out first then went in to grab the adult's. Callen went in to help bring them out.

"Does he ever help you?" Callen asked noticing Rick hasn't done much since Callen and Sam started staying with them.

"You noticed that, huh? Nope not really, he comes home from work and plops on the couch. If you ask him to do anything, he complains under his breath." Amy told him.

"Does he just watch TV?" he asked.

"No, usually he's got his phone in his face. He turns the volume down so I don't know what he's doing. He's constantly telling me he's playing a game."

"But you don't believe him?" he said

"Would you?" she laughed.

After the kids were in bed, Amy came downstairs to find Rick stretched out on the couch. Callen was sitting on one loveseat and Sam was on the other. She stopped, should she sit with Sam or Callen? Callen was the first to move over so she sat with him, but over as far as she could against the arm of the loveseat. As they watched TV, Callen tried to tickle her leg. She pushed his hand away. After a few minutes, he tried it again. Amy poked him in the side as he gasped in surprise. Sam shot them a look and they both tried not to laugh. Rick was oblivious to the whole thing.

Sam picked up a red pillow that was sitting next to him and chucked it at Callen. Amy grabbed it and threw it back at Sam and they all started laughing. Rick looked up just as Sam threw the pillow at him. Rick picked it up and threw it back then went back to whatever he was doing on his phone. Amy rolled her eyes and elbowed Callen, then pointed to Rick. Callen and Sam shook their heads.

By ten Amy was falling asleep. Instead of leaning on the arm of the loveseat, Amy leaned into Callen. He enjoyed the physical contact with her, but it took a great deal of willpower not to put his arm around her. He loved to watch her sleep, she looked so peaceful. Callen wanted to hold her in his arms all night. Instead, he woke her up and sent her up to bed. Rick followed about a half-hour later. Callen and Sam talked for a while before they lay down to get some rest before they had to watch for their suspects.

When they hadn't shown up by four, they laid back down. Rick was down, getting ready for work an hour later. Callen wondered if he was leaving early to go see someone or it he truly had P.T. He heard the shower a half-hour later and Amy was downstairs twenty-minutes later making coffee. Callen checked to see if Sam was still sleeping before he went into the kitchen. Amy was wearing a red v-neck t-shirt and denim Capri's. He walked up to her and poked her in the sides.

"Callen, stop." She told him turning around to face him.

"I'm sorry I'm just getting you back for last night." He said looking at her

"I need to get Ricky up." She told him and walked away. "Good morning Sam.

Callen turned around to find Sam staring at him with his arms crossed over his chest. "Hey Sam, I thought you were asleep."

"No, I was awake. It's Thursday, we've got four day to get these guys. Why didn't they make an appearance last night?"

"I don't know, I was wondering the same thing. I think Kathy needs to stay close to home this weekend." Callen told him.

"I agree, Amy too. We've got to talk to Eric, see if he's been able to get into the traffic cams and surveillance cameras yet." Sam said walking to the coffee maker pushing Callen out of the way. "You're not the only one who wants a cup of coffee, move it along."

"Sorry," he laughed. "Maybe we should go see these places for ourselves; just to get a lay of the land."

Amy came back downstairs with Ricky and Kristy following close behind. For the second morning in a row, Ricky had gotten up without much trouble. Callen was pleased, but enjoyed goofing off with him the other morning. He wondered what it was like having kids, wondered what it would be like having kids with Amy. He immediately shook the image from his head; that was more than he needed to imagine right now. But the images were intriguing. The kids left for school and Amy started a load of laundry. Callen was still thinking about the images his imagination produced. He went to the family room to sit down, Sam joined him and they watched the morning news.

Amy was up stairs putting clothes away and couldn't get her mind off Callen. She hated the way she thought about him. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and looks to see who it was. There was Callen with a warm, sexy smile on his face.

"Go back downstairs." She told him when he walked into her room.

"I promise I'm only here to talk to you, nothing more." He laughed.

"Right, I believe you like I believe Rick." She smiled pulling a pair of jeans from the pile.

Amy watched him sit on the edge of the bed next to her. She tried to focus on folding the pile of laundry on the bed. She pulled a pair of her underwear out of the pile and immediately threw it aside. Callen noticed and reached for them. She slapped his hand away.

"Is there something you needed, Callen? Otherwise go back down stairs." She tried to ignore his stare and felt like he was undressing her.

"I just wanted to see what you're up to." Callen told her standing.

Callen pulled her to him and kissed her, leaving her breathless. "Now I'll leave you alone. Sam and I are going to go out for a while, to go check out these shopping centers. I'll have Kensi or Deeks check on you every now and then."

"Ok, no more. That's the last of it. I hope you got it out of your system." She smiled.

"I did for now." He smiled and her patting her rear before he walked out of the room.

Jenny woke up fifteen minutes after Sam and Callen left. Amy felt horribly guilty for what letting him kiss her once again. She was telling herself that she wasn't any better than Rick. Just because she wasn't sleeping with Callen didn't mean she wasn't emotionally involved in an affair with him. She prayed the case wrapped up soon so she could focus on finding a job so she and the kids could leave. Then eventually, possibly, be with Callen.

Kensi dropped by just before noon to check on them. They sat and talked for a while about the kids and the case. Amy noticed that she talked about Deeks with a certain affinity and wondered if there was something going on between them. Not wanting to tell her anything about what was going on between either she and Rick or she and Callen, Amy opted to keep her mouth shut. Amy invited Kensi back after they finished the case to hang out, have a barbeque or split a bottle of wine. Kensi said she'd like that; being that she doesn't get to socialize much where whomever she's with knows exactly what she does for a living.

Deeks appeared at the door to tell Kensi that Kathy had lunch ready for them. Kensi excused herself and told Amy she'd be back in a while. Amy made lunch for Jenny when she noticed a strange car parked on the street behind them. Quickly, she grabbed her camera and went up to Ricky's room. Sure enough, there were the three men again. Amy called Callen.

"Hey Amy, what's going on?" he asked.

"They're back, parked on the street behind me. They're in a gray Toyota Tundra, I can't see the plates." She told him. "Should I go tell Kensi and Deeks?"

"No, we're on our way back. I'll call them. Stay in the house, I don't want them to see you interacting with Kathy or Kensi and Deeks." He told her.

"I think it might be too late. Deeks came over to get Kensi for lunch maybe fifteen minutes ago. I just noticed them when I was getting Jenny's lunch ready."

"Ok. We're on our way." He said and hung up.

He dialed Kensi's number and waited for an answer. "Hey Kens, I just got a call from Amy. Our friends are back. She noticed them after you left her house."

"Alright, what do you want us to do, just keep an eye on them?" she asked walking to the front door and looking out. "Yeah, I see them. They weren't there when I went over to Amy's at eleven thirty, eleven forty-five."

"All we can do is watch them. Hetty still doesn't want us to take them down until we have more Intel on their plan." He told her.

"Is Amy ok by herself?" Kensi asked.

"Yeah, we're on the five, only a few miles from the base." He told her looking at the amount of traffic on the five freeway. "We should hopefully be there soon."

"Alright, see you in a few." She said and walked back into the kitchen after hanging up.

Callen called Hetty next and told her that they were back in the neighborhood. Hetty called Nell to see if there was anything new in the way of Intel.

"All we could get was that they're looking at a place somewhere on the seventy-eight like Amy said. There is also mention of another woman now. Eric and I are assuming Amy is the one they're talking about. Nothing specific has been said about her, just that there is a woman they feel could be a threat to them." Nell told her.

"Mr. Callen, did you catch that. It sounds like they've noticed Amy." She said,

"Yeah, I heard. What do you want us to do?" he asked.

"Nell and Eric will follow them on traffic cameras as soon as they're off base. Hopefully they will lead us to whatever they're going to do. Amy said the credit unions get paid tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes. Navy and Marine Fed both get paid tomorrow. The civilian banks either on Saturday or Monday." He confirmed.

"Alright, I think it's time we let Oceanside and Carlsbad P.D. know what's going on. See if they can assist us this weekend. Do you agree with Amy that they'll do it this weekend?"

"Amy said pay day weekend is chaotic no matter where you go. I agree that this is the weekend they'll strike." He told her.

"I need you to get the license plate number as soon as you can so Nell and Eric can follow them." She paused and spoke to Nell. "When did this new Intel come in?"

"This morning, it's still being translated. That's all we've been able to get so far." Nell told her.

"Thank you Ms. Jones." She said returning to Callen. "I'll call Oceanside and Carlsbad and send them everything we have so far. Do you think Amy's taken pictures of them again?"

"I don't know, probably. I'll send them to you as soon as we get there if she has." He told her.

"Very well, Mr. Callen. Thank you." She said and disconnected the call.

Being that they were minutes away from Amy's house, Callen didn't call her. He knew Amy wouldn't be able to resist taking pictures. He smiled and shook his head at the situation and remembered the incident in her bedroom. Sam pulled into the housing development and slowed so Callen could get a good shot of the plate number as they passed. As luck would have it, the truck was still there.

Amy met them as the door with her camera in her hand and handed it to Callen. He went through the pictures and had her download them immediately so they could see them better. The shots were perfect. Callen truly couldn't have done better if he'd done it himself. Every shot he could have possibly wanted, she'd gotten. Amy got the file attached to an email and was ready to send it, she pushed the lap top towards Callen so he could enter the email address, then pushed it back at her to send it.

"They're on their way to you, Hetty." He said looking back at Amy. "They're great shots, she got all of their faces, a few good shots of the truck they're in and I sent Eric and Nell the picture of the license plate."

Immediately, Hetty went to Ops to see the pictures. "Amy took these? I'm impressed." She said to Callen and then turned to Nell. "Please be sure you send all of these pictures to Oceanside and Carlsbad Police."

"Callen, I just thought of another Shopping center in Vista," Amy said in the background.

"Where is it?" Eric asked and Callen put the call on speakerphone.

"Try again, Eric, I don't know if Amy heard you." He said looking at Amy.

"Hi Amy," Eric said before continuing. "Where is this other shopping center you're talking about?"

"It's on the seventy-eight. I want to say it's off Sycamore and University Avenue, but I'm not sure. There's a Wal-Mart on one side and a Michaels, Target, Old Navy and a few other stores across the street. They're both high traffic shopping centers as well." She told him.

"We'll definitely be looking there too. Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome. I hope it helps more than wastes your time."

"No Amy, you've been very helpful through the whole case." Hetty told her.

"Hello Hetty, how have you been?" Amy said with a smile.

"I'm good dear. We've got to get back to work. If it's alright, I'd like to call and talk with you later, maybe next week." Hetty said.

"That would be fine." She told Hetty.

"Alright Amy; Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna keep an eye on them and call Eric as soon as they leave." She said before telling Nell to hang up.

"Did you tell her what's going on?" Amy asked Callen.

"No, I didn't. I told her I had information, but I didn't tell her." Callen told her.

"I told her." Sam said. "She called me yesterday when you guys took Ricky to his appointment."

"You just told her in front of everyone?" Amy asked.

"No. I excused myself and went outside. No one heard."

"Why did Hetty call you?" Callen asked looking out the back door before looking back at Sam.

"She asked me if I thought Amy was in danger or if you fought with her about going back to office on Monday because of your feelings for Amy." Sam said leaning on the dining room table.

Callen looked at Amy then Sam. "I guess you could say it was a little of both."

"I told her we all agreed; including Kathy; that Amy shouldn't be left here alone, since we didn't know if they'd try to get to Amy when they found Kathy gone."

"Thank you Sam." Amy said.

Callen pulled Amy over to him and kissed her temple. "Thank you Sam. I appreciate it."

"So what now, we wait?" Amy asked, stepping away from him.

"Pretty much," Sam told her.

There was a knock at the door. It was Kensi, Deeks and Kathy. Amy shut the back door and let them in. They all sat around the dining room table talking. Callen told them about the pictures Amy took and the information Hetty and Nell passed him. They agreed that the woman Nell mentioned was Amy and thankful Hetty was now willing to protect her.

Occasionally, Callen would get up and go to the door to make sure the truck was still there. The last time, he stood there for a few minutes and watched them pull away from the curb and disappear. Then seconds later it passed again going on the opposite direction. He watched the truck turn left and pass on the main road through housing then pointed at Amy and motioned for her to follow him as he walked to the front door. Sam knew exactly what Callen wanted Amy to show him.

"Show me where you looked the other night when they left housing and you and Sam saw them." He said with his hand on the small of Amy back.

She led him out to the van and looked towards the park before stepping into the driveway. "They may have moved to that street on the other side of the park."

"Okay, one thing at a time. Show me where to look." He said following her to the back window of the van.

"You see those two houses there at the end of the street, if you look between them, you can see the traffic on the main street." She told him and waited.

The truck didn't drive by so Amy turned around and looked at the other street. They weren't there either, at least not yet.

"Back up to the house. I don't want them seeing you." He told her leading her back up to the house. "I'll come back out in a few minutes to see if they're across the park."

Callen called Eric as soon as he stepped in the door. "Eric, they've left, but we don't know which way they're headed. Do you have any idea where they got the truck from?"

"Yes, the D.M.V. shows the truck is registered to a Jason Phillips. Current address says he." Eric began.

"He's Calke's neighbor. Sam and I talked to him over the weekend." Callen told him looking at Sam. There was an empty plastic cup sitting on the counter. In his anger, Callen hit it, sending it crashing into the laundry room door. "How did he die?"

"We aren't sure. The Coroner believes he died within the last twenty-four hours. There were no visible signs of struggle, no gunshot wounds. The only thing noted so far in the preliminary findings is a needle stick on the side of his neck. They're suspecting Strychnine poisoning like Calke and Auts at the Brig. We have to wait on the toxicology results for confirmation." Eric explained.

"Damn it. This is the third time they've used Strychnine. I think they may be changing their plans. Going from a full on assault to possible poisoning." He said looking at Sam, Kensi and Deeks.

"There is that possibility. We're still waiting on the Intel to be translated. As soon as we have it I'll call you." Eric told him. "We're looking for our suspects at all of the gates. We'll find them."

Callen hung up and tossed his phone on the counter. Had he been in his own house, he would've punched the wall. Everyone at the table waited expectantly for Callen to explain.

"They got to Sergeant Phillips?" Sam asked.

"Yes, they did, probably because he talked to us." Callen said sitting back at the table. He looked at Amy and tried to smile.

"Is there any way it was strictly opportunity and not because he'd talked to you guys? I mean, how would they know if you'd talked to him? Unless this kid mentioned something to Calke, who in-turn told the other guys and. Never mind, I just answered my own question." Amy said feeling embarrassed.

"No Amy you're probably right. Either way, that kid didn't deserve it." Sam told her.

"Neither did Wallis' wife and daughter or Rouche." Callen said.

"I'm sorry you guys." Amy said, know if didn't mean much. Callen smiled at her and rubbed his foot against her leg.

"Well, this crap just keeps getting worse and worse." Kathy said looking at her watch. "I wish it was later, I'd bring the beer over."

Everyone agreed that an ice cold beer sound wonderful, but they couldn't slack off in the middle of the case. They all agreed that later, around dinner would be better.

"Amy, what are you doing for dinner?" Kathy asked.

"I haven't even thought of it. This morning got off on kind of strange foot and I never got back on track." She said looking at Callen.

"Well, we could order in or something. Ooh, I can order from that Chinese place I told you about the other day." Kathy said.

"That sounds good. I don't have any money to help pay for it though." She said.

"Don't worry about it; I can pay for our half." Callen offered, Sam agreed.

"No, I've got it covered. Dinner's on me tonight, I'll call it in after I get back from picking the kids up from school. It should be here by five or five thirty." She said.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Nell and Eric called a couple times to let them know they were tracking the truck and would keep them posted. The kids got home from school and finished their homework. Rick came home from work and they all went over to Kathy's for dinner.

As good as the food was Amy only picked at her plate. Callen watched Rick's interaction with Amy; he acted like there was nothing wrong. Had his arm around her, even tried to kiss her. Callen knew he had no right to be jealous, but he wanted nothing more than to break Rick's arm. He couldn't wait for Rick to be out of the picture so it was his arm around her and his lips kissing her. Amy could tell Callen was getting mad and worried he would say something to Rick.

"Hetty, we may have a problem." Nell said walking towards Hetty's desk.

"What is it, Ms. Jones?" she asked over the rim of her tea cup.

"We just got a phone call from the Oceanside Police department. They were called to the Best Western on Oceanside Boulevard when a maid went into one of the rooms after the occupants checked out. Two bodies were found in room one fifty-five. When they asked who the rented the room, they found out it was out suspects. The two dead are a match for Abida Mohamedzai and Malik Raisini."

Hetty looked at Nell her mind reeling. "How long ago was this?"

"Within the hour, the officer who called us said there was no sign of a struggle. It looks like Awan shot them in their sleep, used a pillow to minimize the noise. Do you want us to call Callen?" Nell asked.

Eric came running down the stairs. "Um, we might want to call Callen now. Awan just got on base and we just got new Intel." He said walking over to one of the monitors in the bullpen. Hetty and Nell followed. "The communication states that Mohamadzai and Raisini have been taken care of. The only two problems left will be taken care of by Saturday. He also mentioned going to Red Lobster for a celebratory meal on Saturday. Red Lobster is one of the restaurants in the shopping center off the five Amy mentioned."

"Good work you two. Thank you for staying late. Looks like we just got the day and location of whatever they were planning. I'm just curious as to how he's going to pull this off without the other two. I'll call Callen later this the morning." She told them. "Do we know where Awan went after checking out of the hotel?"

She was interrupted by a dinging sound from the tablet Eric brought down the stairs with him. Tapping the screen a few times, he pulled a traffic cam on the screen. "That's Camp Pendleton's main gate." He said looking back over at his shoulder at Hetty whom had already turned back to her desk.

She reached across the desk and pulled the phone to her and dialed Callen's number. Callen answered on the second ring. "Mr. Callen, Awan is on base. Mohamedzai and Raisini were found dead in their hotel room. Communications between Awan and whoever his contact is says he has two loose ends to silence before a celebratory meal at Red Lobster on Saturday. Get Kathy and her kids in the walk-in closet upstairs. Keep them there. PMO and Agent Wrath's team will be there as soon as they can." She said waiving for Nell to make the call. "Do the same for Amy and the kids."

"How long ago did he come through the gate?" Callen asked waking Sam up. He covered the phone and told him to get Kensi on the phone.

"Within the last five minutes. He should be there any minute." She said

"Alright Hetty. Do we finally have permission to take him down?" he asked telling Sam that Awan was on base.

Sam was on the phone with Kensi when Awan walked up to Amy's door. "Sam, he's there."

Callen was up the stairs as fast and as quietly as he could. He woke Amy and told her to get Rick and the kids in the closet. Amy woke Rick and the three each grabbed one of the kids and put them in the closet. Callen told Rick to keep Amy and the kids there. Amy could head Sam coming up the stairs and said something to Callen. The kids were crying and scared. Rick had Jenny in his lap trying to comfort her, but she only wanted Amy. Ricky and Kristy were at Amy's sides, with her arms around them. She looked at Rick for encouragement and found nothing. She knew at that point she was on her own.

With coms on, Hetty, Nell and Eric listened from Ops. They were all worried and on edge. Callen asked Kensi and Deeks if they had a clear view of the house and where Awan was. His questioned was answered when they heard the gate to the back yard clank. Callen remembered Amy said it was broken and smiled. They watched him walk past the barbeque and check the back door, but it was locked. He checked the other three windows in the back, but they were locked too. Kensi told them that Awan was back in front and had opened the door on the van; they heard the garage door open.

Amy quickly stood and climbed up on the shelves in the closet and pushed the cover to the attic back.

"Amy what the hell are you doing?" Rick asked just watching her.

"Are you going to help me or are you just going to sit there. I'm trying to get the kids to a safer place." She told him. Amy climbed up one more shelf and looked inside the attic. There was enough room for all three kids, Rick and herself. "We need flashlights." She said climbing back down.

"Mommy, there should be one in my room." Jenny said.

"Ok, I'll be right back. Stay here and keep the light off." Amy told them cracking the door a bit to see if there was anyone out there.

"Amy stop, I'll go." Rick said picking her up and turning her back towards the kids. He opened the door and crawled into Jenny's room. Right on her dresser was the flashlight. He grabbed it and went back into the closet.

Amy stood and hefted Kristy as high as she could; Rick took her and held her up to the attic. Kristy climbed in and reached back down for Ricky. Jenny was the easiest to get in the attic, Rick hefted her and both Kristy and Ricky pulled her up. Amy climbed up the shelves and up into the attic.

"Rick come on." She called back down at him.

"No, I'll stay down here. I'll be fine." He told them. The kids began to cry and call for him. Rick climbed up the shelves and pulled the attic cover closed.


	8. Chapter 8

Callen heard the kids crying upstairs and wondered what was going on. He knew if he heard them, there was a good chance Awan did too. Callen knew Sam was in the living room, poised and ready. He listened for a signal from Sam or Awan's footsteps on the linoleum. Awan should be in the house by now. They made sure the laundry room door was unlocked. He heard the creaking and screeching of the garage door again. When it stopped, he heard the door knob and the door squeak as it opened. He smiled when he realized Amy hadn't used the WD-40 on the hinges like she'd said she would.

"What's going on over there?" Kensi called over the com.

"He's coming in through the laundry room." Callen whispered wishing he could see what type of weapon Awan had.

Sam tapped lightly on the wall, a signal to Callen that Awan was coming his way. As the footsteps came closer to the stairs, he backed himself up one by one and looked over at the closet praying the kids kept quiet.

Kensi and Deeks made their way out Kathy's front door and over to Amy's house. Kensi was at the front door, Deeks at her back. They waited for Sam to flip on the porch light, their signal to enter. Deeks looked at his watch. Wrath and his team should've been there by now. No sooner did the thought pass and they were joined by four other agents. Kensi looked back and nodded.

Sam saw the muzzle of an assault rifle and shook his head, thinking it was about to get interesting. All Callen and Sam had were their pistols; Amy was ok with their pistols being in the house, but asked that they keep their rifles elsewhere. He hoped Kensi had them. Sam moved down the wall to the base of the stairs and looked up then quickly moved back to the door and flipped on the porch light. Deeks opened the screen and slid the lock into place. Kensi opened the door and stepped in sliding the strap of Sam's rifle down her arm in one swift motion. Sam grabbed it and they were off.

Kensi and Deeks went left under the stairs, past the laundry room and into the kitchen. Sam and Wrath went straight through the living room to the base of the stairs. Two more agents were waiting at the back door. One of them kicked a block and it tumbled across the floor and bounced off the wall. The footsteps on the stairs stopped and started back down.

Amy and the three kids were huddled together, leaning on the wall between her house and the adjoining house. The kids were shaking; Amy wasn't sure if they were cold or if it was from the adrenaline. She held them as tight as she could and prayed.

"Mommy, why didn't Daddy come up?" Jenny asked, trying to be as quiet as she could.

"Shh Mama, I don't know. Let's not talk. Are you guy's cold?" Amy asked feeling down their arms, their skin was warm. She felt them shake their heads against her shoulders and chest. She leaned down and kissed each of them on the head and told them she loved them, trying to calm them while her own fears were spiraling out of control. Amy truly wasn't surprised that Rick left them there alone.

Callen backed himself into Amy and Rick's room and saw a body in the bed and knew immediately it was Rick. "What the hell are you doing out here? You left Amy and the kids in there alone?" he said ready to shoot Rick himself. "You're supposed to be protecting them, comforting them."

"Amy and the kids are in the attic. There wasn't room enough for me, so I came back in here. Besides, you guys are here to protect them." Rick told him matter-of-factly lying on his back with his head resting on his hands.

"You're Amy's husband and the kids' father. You need to be with them." Callen told him gritting his teeth. Lord he wanted to hit him for his stupidity.

Callen went to the door and looked down the stairs, Awan was going back down. Quickly he went to the closet and opened the door. He saw the attic cover sitting awkwardly over the hole. "Amy, you guys okay up there?"

"Callen?" Amy asked and pushed the cover so she could look down. "We're ok. Where the hell is Rick?"

"Don't worry about it. I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay. I'll be back." He said smiling at her.

Amy slid back against the wall and held the kids again, angry at Rick, but so thankful for Callen.

Callen looked over the railing and down the stairs. Awan was nearly at the bottom; Callen walked to the top of the stairs along the wall, but kicked the doorstop. It made an odd, comical sound. He stopped and waited.

Awan was confused. There were sounds coming from both directions. Being that he was closer to the base of the stairs, he checked the bottom floor and walked right into the trap. He stepped off the stairs and walked a couple paces looking from the family room on the right to the dining room on the left, nothing. The cat was sitting on the table howling at him. It almost sounded like the animal was saying hello. Awan brought the rifle up and thought against shooting the cat; it was truly innocent in this. He found it ironic that he had qualms against taking the life of an animal, but would slaughter a human in a heartbeat.

Slowly Awan turned around to find four assault rifles pointed at him. Two agent threw open the back door sending the blind crashing back against the door. Awan spun around to find two more weapons pointed at him and he fired at them. Sam fired two shots, hitting him in the shoulder and the leg.

Amy and the kids heard the gunshots and screamed. Amy tried to calm them the best she could by pulling them closer to her.

Callen took the stairs two at a time when he heard the shots. Sam was telling Awan to drop his weapon. Knowing he was vastly out-numbered, Awan dropped his weapon and fell to the floor. Sam put his hands knee into his back as Kensi put a pair of flex-cuffs on his wrists. Sam and Wrath pulled him to his feet. Kensi called over the Coms that they had him but needed an ambulance and none of the agents or Amy and the kids were hurt.

"This is not over." Awan said indignantly. "Others will come to finish this work."

"You need to shut your mouth." Callen told him as he walked up to him.

Awan spit in his face. Callen lunged forward and Awan coward back. Sam grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inches from his face, Awan winced in pain. "You'd better be glad I have wonderful self control. I could easily dismember you with my bare hands. Now shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

"The bitches will die. Just because I didn't get them doesn't mean the others won't." Awan smiled.

"Man, I told you to shut your." Sam started.

"Yes, yes I know. Shut my mouth." Awan said annoyed.

"I'll take him to the Naval Hospital and get him patched up, and then back to the office; you guys can meet us there to question him." Wrath said as he and another agent had him by the arms leading him out to the grass in the front yard. They could hear the siren on the ambulance winding its way through housing. As it pulled onto the street, they turned off the lights and siren. Quickly Awan was loaded onto the ambulance and taken to the Naval Hospital. "We'll call you when we're on our way to the office."

Callen turned to Kensi and Deeks. "Go let Kathy know that we got him and everything's ok. Deeks you stay there, Kensi you come back over here. I still want someone here at all times until we know for sure there isn't anyone else. Kensi and Deeks nodded and walked out the door.

"Mr. Callen, don't forget Amy and the kids." Hetty reminded him.

"Do you know where I found Rick?" Callen said taking off the Com.

"No, where?" Sam wondered.

"In bed. He helped Amy and the kids get into the attic and then left them there and went back to bed. Who the hell does that?" Callen said trying to stifle his anger.

"I don't know, G. Are you surprised?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm not. Let me go get them out of the attic." Callen said about to go up the stairs.

"Whose idea do you think it was to get in the attic?" Sam asked. "That was a good idea."

"I don't know. Probably Amy's, I doubt Rick's smart enough to think of it." Callen laughed.

Callen opened the closet door and flipped on the light. He stepped up on one of the shelves and pushed the attic cover aside. "It's all clear. Amy, you want to start passing the kids down?"

Amy looked down at him and smiled the biggest smile he'd ever seen, but he could see she'd been crying. Amy started with Kristy. Feet first, Amy lowered her down to Callen. Once he had her in his hands, he gave her a huge hug. "I'm so glad you're ok." He whispered and let her go. Ricky was next. Once Callen had him, he gave Ricky a hug and spoke to him too. Then came Jenny, she wrapped her arms so tight around Callen's neck he thought she'd choke him.

"Daddy left us up there?" she said in disbelief.

"I know honey. But you guys are ok." He told her and kissed her cheek. "Let me help Mommy."

Amy was half-way down before he put Jenny down. Callen grabbed her waist and pulled her to him once she had both feet firmly on the ground. She wrapped her arms around his chest and let out a ragged breath. Callen held her tight, Amy looked up at him. "You got him in one piece? I heard gunshots, who got hurt?"

"Yeah, he's not quite in one piece. Sam shot him twice, shoulder and leg; they took him to the Naval Hospital. Sam and I are going to question him when they get him back to the office. Kensi will be over here while we're gone. Are you okay?" he asked

"Where the hell did Rick go? He just left us up there didn't he?" Amy asked ready to strangle him.

"He was in the bedroom." Callen whispered. He saw the fury in Amy eyes as she pushed away from him. "Don't worry about him right now."

"I'll kill him." Amy said tears falling. "He's supposed to protect them."

Callen looked back at the kids who were huddled together. "Why don't you guys go downstairs, Sam and Kensi should be down there, they can get you guys comfortable and turn on the TV or a movie for you?" He turned back to Amy. "Don't send them to school. Let them stay home. Call the school and see if the school psychologist can come over and talk to them. Whose idea was the attic?"

"Mine. I wanted to keep the kids as safe as possible. If I'd known where in the house he was, I would've taken the kids out through the garage." She told him trying to manage a smile.

"You did great." He told her hugging her tight.

Kensi and Sam came up the stairs.

"Hey, Amy are you okay?" kensi asked standing beside her.

"Yeah, I am." She told her. "Where's Rick?"

"I don't know I assumed he was up here with you. I haven't seen him." Kensi told her.

Amy walked to her bedroom, turning on the light. There was Rick lying in bed with his phone in his hands. He sat the phone on the nightstand when he saw her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she said walking to the foot of the bed. "You just left the kids and me in the attic and went back to bed? You're supposed to protect us."

"Like I told Callen, you had him and Sam to protect you." Rick told her not moving. His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Before he could reach for it, Amy had it.

She read the text. -Hey Baby where'd you go? Are you still coming over this morning? I can't wait to see you. "You were talking to another woman the whole time?"

"No, I wasn't, that's an old text." He told her.

"Rick, you're so full of shit. I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore." She told him throwing the phone at him.

"You always say that Amy and your still here. You're not going anywhere." He told her sitting up.

"Not this time. I mean it. As soon as I find a place to go, the kids and I are gone." She told him as he got out of bed and walked towards her.

"You're not taking the kids from me." He said getting in her face.

Kensi, Callen and Sam then ran in and pushed Rick back towards the bed. Kensi told him. "Back off. You lay one hand on Amy and I'll shoot you myself."

"Get out bitch, this doesn't involve you." Rick said pushing Kensi backwards; Callen and Sam were right behind her pushing her upright again. "This is between Amy and me; it doesn't involve any of you."

"Rick, just go. Get you uniform and go." Amy told him throwing his blouse and trousers at him.

He collected everything he needed and walked out giving them dirty looks as he left.

"I'm done with this shit. I've threatened to leave before, but this shit takes the cake. He was in here texting another woman while the kids and I were hiding in the attic. I'm done, Callen." She looked up at him too angry to cry.

Sam and Callen got a call from Agent Wrath at four, telling them that Awan was having surgery and being admitted over night. That there would have an Agent in his room with him, two MP's were stationed outside his room and no one was permitted on the floor or in the ward without proper identification. They would be able to talk with him later that morning around ten at the hospital.

Awan was sitting up in bed with his breakfast tray on the cart in front of him. The flex-cuffs had been removed and he was placed in a set of shackles connecting his wrists to the rails of the bed. Callen and Sam went in and just stared at him for a while.

"I'm Special Agent Callen; this is Special Agent Hanna and Special Agent Wrath." Callen said.

"What you're admiring my good looks or your handy work Agent Hanna?" Awan asked.

"No, just trying to figure out why you did it. You look like a puny man, couldn't defend yourself from a fly unless you've got a gun in your hand." Callen told him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh you'd be surprised what I am capable of." Awan smiled.

"Well, we know you killed your partners, why?" Sam asked.

"They were of no use to me anymore. They'd become more of a liability." Awan told them,

Callen had had enough of the banter and started asking hardcore questions. Awan explained that he was working for a man he only knew and Kahn. He didn't know where he was located and they always communicated through encrypted messages. He was given guidelines and the rest they made up along the way.

They asked about the murder of Staff Sergeant Mason and Awan told them it was merely to silence him, whether or not he knew anything about their plan. He volunteered that they had paid Sergeant Auts one hundred thousand dollars the day before Mason's accident, with the plan that Auts would die anyway; it was just a matter of time. He told them that the money was deposited into an off-shore account and withdrew from the account the day after his arrest.

Awan told them about the events surrounding the murder of Staff Sergeant Willis and his family. He proudly told them that he; himself took care of the homeless man who was out smoking in the back yard before they even entered the house. Awan enjoyed retelling how he instructed Mohamedzai and Raisini to kill the wife and daughter while he held Staff Sergeant at gun point and made him watch. He told them he enjoyed watching a person take their last breath as they bled profusely. It was unfortunate that he couldn't see the pain and surprise in their eyes as their life slipped away.

Wrath asked which one of them killed his partner; Agent Ross, to which Awan laughed. With a few foul words to describe the man, he told them that it was Calke who shot him. When Wrath asked why, Awan told him that he was eliminated because he had watched them. Wrath then pointed out that they had neglected to take the camera; Awan told them that the truly damning photos had been deleted. That Ross had been seen days before following them and those were the photos deleted. Awan mentioned Amy and the kids with a fondness.

Callen balled his fists ready to swing as Awan told them what he planned to do to Amy. He wanted to have the kids watch as he raped and gutted her before turning on them. Callen tried to hide his anger, but Awan saw and commented on it. He commented on her spineless husband who was more interested in other woman more than his own wife. Callen and Sam wondered how he knew that. It seemed that he had been watching Amy longer than they thought, for months in fact, since Mason's death. Awan said they watched everyone who went in and out of the Mason's house. Awan admitted to even talking to Rick one night when he was out with one of his other women. Amy was the only one who posed any type of threat after seeing her take the pictures at the park and figured he'd take care of her for both for them and Rick.

Awan spoke of Calke's failure to take Kathy Mason out, thus resulting in his death. Wrath asked where he was when Mohamedzai and Raisini were posing as delivery drivers at the Brig's chow hall. He told them how he slipped out of the truck and into the kitchen. He killed one of the civilian workers and took his uniform, injecting the Strychnine into their orange juice then arranged the trays on the cart precisely so they would get the proper trays. Then slipped out with the body of the man he killed and dumped him in a culvert off base. Wrath immediately left the room and returned a short time later. He asked exactly where he'd dumped the body, but Awan said he didn't know the area.

"Now, tell us about this attack you've been planning." Callen told him.

Awan smiled fiendishly. "That my friend should be the least of your worries, when I don't succeed, others will come and it will happen on a much larger scale. Our little attack is just a test and it really isn't much."

"You're having a celebratory meal at the Red Lobster tomorrow afternoon, is that where you're planning whatever you're going to do? Are you going to poison the entire restaurant?" Sam asked.

"I have made friends with a man who works there. He will taint the tap system for the sodas and beer with Strychnine, but you will never catch him in time." He told them as Wrath again left the room.

"Don't worry about what we can and can't do. You underestimate us." Callen told him.

"Special Agent Callen, there are many more that the local authorities have either found or will find in the near future. All of them were me. I've enjoyed my time here. Most of the unsolved crimes from San Diego to Los Angeles and everywhere in between were me. Rapes, murders, burglaries." He told them with his ego inflated.

"You're a very sick man, aren't you Awan?" Sam asked.

"If you only knew, Agent Hanna. We know of Kathy Mason's plans to move and contacted my employer. She and her children will be dead within the next few months. Your friend, Agent Callen; she'll be dead too. Though not the way I'd planned, I would've enjoyed it, made sure she suffered. No amount of protection will save her. No one is safe. It truly is an eye for an eye Agents. One by one, if we have to, they will all die." He told them leaning forward, wincing in pain. He pressed the nurse call button.

"Yes sir, what can I do for you?" the female nurse asked from the door.

"I'm in pain, may I have something, dear?" he asked smiling at the agents.

She returned with a syringe and injected it into his I.V. "You gentlemen are going to have to come back another time. This is going to knock him out."

Callen walked out with Sam following. Wrath met them and told them they had Agents on their way to the restaurant to talk to the cooks and staff as they arrived to prep for lunch service. Awan smiled and waved as they walked past the window in the hall. Callen wanted to pound him into the ground. Even though they didn't get all of the information they needed, they got enough. They were sure more would come in time.

Sam and Callen returned to Amy's to find Kensi pacing the floor. She pulled them into the garage and asked them what happened. Deeks joined them a few minutes later; Sam and Callen told them everything Awan told them. Deeks called a buddy with the L.A.P.D. informing him of Awan's claims. Once Awan had been processed further and D.N.A. was taken, Deeks promised to pass it to them to see if he matched any of their recent cold cases.

The four called Hetty and explained to her what Awan had said. She instructed them to join Wrath's team at the restaurant. Hetty asked how Amy and Kathy were fairing and told them she would be out to talk to Amy Saturday afternoon.

Callen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks left for the restaurant by twelve thirty. The school psychologist was at Amy's talking with the kids when they left. Callen worried about Amy, he wondered if she truly meant what she said about leaving Rick or if it was just talk. He prayed she was serious. The drive was short, but the lack of conversation made it drag by. He looked out the window while Sam drove on the five south. They passed the Best Western Calke said Awan, Mohamedzai and Raisini had been staying. Mentally, he counted the bodies. It had been a while since they'd seen a week like this. Seven confirmed deaths and one Awan claims he dumped somewhere. Not counting the others he claimed to have committed.

Sam took the seventy-eight exit and immediately got over to the far right to exit on Jefferson. Wrath and his team were already there and had the staff waiting to be questioned. The four split up and started questioning the wait and kitchen staff. Several of the wait staff recognized Awan, but have never served him. Another volunteered that a server by the name of Joseph Rocco was consistently his server and Awan had requested to be seated in his section. If by chance Rocco was not working on a particular evening, Awan would leave.

Callen and Sam found Wrath talking with the restaurant manager and asked about Joseph Rocco. The manager told them that Rocco had been with the company for three years. Prior to working for Red Lobster, he was enlisted in the Marines and received an honorable discharge. The last known address they had on file for him was for Carlsbad, off El Camino Real. One thing the manager did say was that Rocco had been a great employee and was always there to help a friend or co-worker in their time of need .They took a copy of Rocco's information and grabbed Kensi and Deeks before going to check it out.

It was a nice neighborhood, full of million dollar homes and in the driveways sat Mercedes, BMWs and every other expensive vehicle one could think of. As they pulled up to Rocco's house, his was no different. There was a Mercedes sedan and BMW SUV sitting in the driveway. Callen felt the hoods and both were cold. Kensi and Deeks stayed at the curb while Callen and Sam went to the door. A young woman answered the bell. After identifying themselves, they began asking questions about Joseph Rocco. The woman told then he was her brother and that he should be in the living room watching TV.

She invited them in¸ Callen turned around and nodded to Kensi and Deeks. Immediately, they walked to the gate leading to the back yard. To Deeks relief, there was no dog barking on the other side. They opened the gate and proceeded with caution.

Callen and Sam were led through the ornate entry and into a very large living room. On one wall was a large flat screen TV with an array of speakers and other miscellaneous equipment. Sitting on a black leather sectional couch was Rocco. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them and was up, running for the door before they stepped across the threshold. Callen yelled for him to stop, but he made it to the bi-fold door and out into the back yard. He tried to run for the wrought iron back fence, but was tackled from the side.

Kensi, Sam and Callen ran up to Deeks and Rocco rolling in the grass. With weapons drawn, he gave up and allowed Deeks to roll him over and put flex-cuffs on him. He knew at that point it was over. Awan lied to him. Sam and Callen pulled him to his feet and started questioning him.

"Why did you run?" Callen asked as they led him back into the house.

"That son-of-a-bitch told me you guys would never find me. Let me guess, he gave you my name? That double crossing piece of shit." He spat angrily.

"Watch your language, there's a lady present." Sam told him dragging him to the couch.

"Sorry ma'am. I didn't see you." He said towards Kensi, genuinely sorry.

"Jo-Jo, what have you done?" his sister said from the doorway.

"I was trying to save Momi and Papi's house." He told her ashamed.

"Like this?" she said gesturing wildly.

"What do you mean you're trying to save your parent's house?" Kensi asked.

"The bank is going to take the house from us." The young woman said with tears in her eyes.

"Our parent's died two years ago in a car accident. Maria and I have been trying so hard to make enough money to pay off the debt to the bank. That asshole promised me enough money to do that if I helped him." Rocco told them hanging his head.

"Do you even know what you were about to do?" Callen asked looking down at him.

"All he told me was to put something in the taps for the soda and beer machines. He said it would just make them sick. He was going to have lunch there tomorrow and be one of the ones to get sick, then he was going to sue the owner and he'd give me more money." He said looking up at Callen.

"Did you know that you were going to put Strychnine in the taps? That anyone who drank anything but maybe juice would've died until the taps were either cleaned or changed?" Callen asked.

"Strychnine, holy shit. I had no idea that's what it was. Honestly, I had no idea." He told them sobbing.

"Jo-Jo, you idiot." His sister screamed.

"I didn't know Maria. I didn't know what it was." He told her.

Callen looked at Kensi, who understood and went to Maria. "Why don't you and I go into the kitchen and talk? We aren't helping by just standing around."

Maria agreed and led Kensi to the kitchen.

"She has nothing to do with this. Don't arrest her. Please." Rocco pleaded.

"We're not going to arrest her." Deeks told him. "Unfortunately, you are."

"I know. Can we just go." He asked trying to stand up.

"Before we take you anywhere, where is the Strychnine?" Sam asked.

"In the garage, it's in a plastic container in one of the cabinets." He told Sam.

Deeks went to the garage and returned with the container in a large plastic bag. Callen called Wrath to ask for a car to pick up Rocco.

"How much money did Awan pay you for this?" Callen asked sitting on the padded ottoman across from Rocco.

"Over a hundred thousand dollars, then he said he'd give me half of whatever he won in the lawsuit." Rocco told him.

"He would've killed you, you know that? Awan killed his two partners last night with a shot to the back of the head. All together, the three are responsible for seven deaths. You would've been just one more. How does that feel?" Callen asked looking for his reaction.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Rocco said and started gagging. Deeks ran into the kitchen and grabbed the garbage can. They watched Rocco heave his stomach contents into the can.

Ten minutes later, Wrath arrived and took him back to the office. "We've got it from here." He told them taking the bag from Deeks. Maria came from the kitchen and hugged Joseph as they led him out to the waiting car.

"He admitted to everything. Said he didn't know it was Strychnine. He was trying to save his parent's house from foreclosure." Callen told Wrath as they walked out of the house.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Maria asked Kensi.

"I don't know exactly. He's going to be charged and he most likely will spend a lengthy bit of time in prison. Do you have someplace you can go?" Kensi told her.

"I could move into the dorm, but since Jo-Jo was paying for school I'm probably going to have to drop out. I could go live with my Aunt and Uncle in Jamul." She told Kensi crying.

"Here's my card, if you need anything call me. I'll see what I can do to help." Kensi told her giving her a hug before handing her the business card.

"Thank you." Was all she could say.

"Good job everyone. You should be proud of yourselves." Hetty told them over the speaker phone as they drove back to the base. "Take the rest of the weekend off, relax. Be back in the office Monday morning."

They were relieved, to say the least. Callen still worried about Awan's claims that there would be other to finish what he started, but didn't voice them.

"So we're just going to leave?" Kensi asked.

"Looks like it." Callen said turning in his seat to look at her.

"Wow, it's been kind of fun staying with Kathy and Amy." She said smiling, remembering the time when they weren't chasing after or worrying about Awan, Mohamedzai, Raisini or Calke.

"It was fun. Amy and the kids were a lot of fun." Sam said looking over at Callen wondering what would happen between him and Amy now.

"Did you two ever get nut-checked by Ricky?" Deeks laughed.

Sam and Callen laughed, Kensi sat confused. "No, thank God."

"What are you guys talking about nut-checked?" Kensi asked.

Sam and Callen explained what Amy had told them and soon, she too was laughing.

"Are you going to talk to Amy before we leave?" Sam asked Callen.

"I don't know I'd like to try." He told Sam.

"Do you think she'll really leave Rick?" Kensi asked.

"I hope so; she doesn't deserve to be treated the way he's been treating her. Neither do the kids." Callen told her.

"Kathy mentioned that Rick's got a four or five month old daughter, is that true?" Kensi asked.

"As far as I know it is." Callen said looking out the window.

"Hetty confirmed it. Found the birth record and DNA results in his SRB. She also said he's still talking to other women, which Amy confirmed this morning." Sam told them.

Callen glanced over at Sam, "Hetty told you that?"

"Yeah, she did when I told her what was going on." Sam said looking at Callen momentarily before turning his attention back to the road.

"How's she lived with it for so long?" Kensi asked

"No one knows." Sam said looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"So Callen, I take it you've got a little thing for Amy." Deeks said jokingly. Everyone but Callen looked at Deeks and the rest of the ride back to the base was silent.

Amy and Kathy were sitting in the back of Amy's van when they pulled up. By the smiles on their faces they knew it was over. Kathy and Amy hugged and waited for the other to get out of the Challenger. Amy looked at Callen, but he never looked back at her and her heart sank. Kensi, Deeks and Sam came over and told them all about Rocco and his reasoning for helping Awan.

Kathy asked how much Rocco and his sister owed the bank. Kensi told her that Awan had paid him one hundred thousand dollars for his services. Kathy was floored and asked what the girl was going to do. Kensi didn't know.

Amy watched Callen walk towards the house and looked at Sam. Sam shrugged his shoulders. She contemplated going in and talking to him for a few minutes, then followed him into the house. The kids were outside playing, so they had the house to themselves.

"Congratulations." She said closing the door behind her. "Are you okay?"

Callen was sitting on the couch in the living room. "We're done. We have to report back to the office on Monday."

Amy sat in one of the black chairs next to the couch. "Well, you knew you'd have to go back to regular work sometime."

"I know, but Awan said there would be other coming to finish what he started. You and Kathy could still be in danger. I'm worried about you and the kids." He told her leaning his elbows on his knees.

"I think its all talk, Callen." She said looking at him.

"Awan said he and Rick talked one night when he was out with one of his girlfriends. I'm wondering now if he was trying to kill you because of something Rick said." He said noticing for the first time the Tiffany lamp on the entertainment center.

"Do you think that's why Rick went back to bed?" she asked.

"I don't know. Do you think Rick will come home tonight?" he asked looking back at Amy.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I think he'll come back once he's sure you and Sam are gone."

"Were you serious this morning or was it just talk?" he asked

"Serious about what, leaving? Yes, as soon as I can find a place and a job." She said looking at her bare feet.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes." She said slightly worried.

"What's going on between us? I see the way you look at me and that afternoon in the laundry room, but every time I kiss you, you don't kiss me." He said looking at her hopeful.

"I think for now, its best if we don't see each other. I don't mind if you call, but you shouldn't come by." She said wishing it didn't have to be this way.

"Is that how you really want it?"

"Of course not, but I don't see any way. I'm not going to get into a relationship with you until Rick is completely out of the picture." She told him.

Callen faintly smiled. "So you're interested in a relationship?"

Amy smiled and stood up then sat next to him. "Yes Callen, I want a relationship with you, but I need time."

Callen pulled her closer. "I'll give you all the time you need."

"Thank you." She smiled and leaned into him. "Are you going home tonight?"

"I don't have to. I'd like another day with you and the kids. Maybe rent a couple movies or something. Would that be okay with you?"

"I think the kids would like that." She smiled.

"What about you?" he laughed pulling Amy onto his lap.

"Ok," she said putting her arm around Callen's neck. "I would like that too, but you still have to sleep downstairs. I don't want the kids to think there's something more going on."

"I understand would you be opposed to sleeping down here with me?" he asked getting incredibly close to her lips.

"I might be able to do that. We could pull the loveseat and coffee table out of the family room and bring down Kristy's mattress. I can sleep on one couch and you can sleep on the other with the kids in the middle." She offered, looking at his lips.

He smiled. "Deal. What do you want to do for dinner?"

"I don't know, whatever the kids want which will probably be pizza." She told him.

"Do you want your sausage and black olives again? I'll split it with you." He said running his fingers across her collar bone.

Amy shivered at his touch, feeling her body react. Clearing her throat, she continued. "Sausage and black olives sounds good."

Callen reached up and pulled her towards him by her neck and kissed her. This time, there was no holding back for Amy. She kissed him as deeply as he did her. Callen's hand slid down her back to her rear and pulled her so she was straddling him. When Amy came up for air, Callen kissed from her chin down her neck to her collar bone. Amy was in heaven, it had been so long since a man did that. Callen kissed down to the top of her lace bra. Amy dug her nails into his back and came to her senses.

"We can't do this." She said breathlessly and pulled away.

Callen cleared his throat and adjusted how he was sitting. "I'm sorry." He said with his hands on her back, he pulled her back in for another kiss. Amy planted her hands on his shoulders and pushed away.

"Callen, no more. As much as I want this, it's wrong." She said seeing the want in his eyes.

"I know I'm sorry. I just wish Rick was already out of the picture." He said kissing her again.

Amy pulled away. "But he isn't, he's still my husband and we're still married. Give me six months, Callen."

"I can do six months. Then you're mine." He smiled devilishly.

"We really should go back outside, before they send a search party out for us." She laughed.


	9. Chapter 9

Amy woke up early, with Jenny sprawled across her chest. Her neck had an awful cramp from sleeping in odd positions on the loveseat. She looked over at Ricky and Kristy who were asleep on the mattress, then at Callen. He was sleeping on his stomach with his head hanging off the couch and an arm around Ricky who had his arms wrapped around Callen's. Amy smiled, wishing Callen didn't have to go home. They had a nice night watching movies with the kids and ate more pizza then they should've. She looked at the TV and watched the introduction replay from the last movie they started watching.

She tried to get out from under Jenny without waking her, but every time Amy moved Jenny tightened her grip. Finally, she rolled on her side and laid Jenny on the mattress and covered her up with the blanket. Callen stirred, but didn't wake-up. Amy crawled over the arm of the loveseat and walked into the kitchen. The dog hopped off the mattress and followed her begging for some attention. She sat of the kitchen floor and pulled him into her arms cradling him like a baby, scratching his belly. The dog rolled out of her arms and ran back into the family room and onto the make-shift bed.

Amy could hear someone sputtering and knew the dog was licking their face. She heard Jenny's laugh. Looking back into the family room, she saw Jenny on her knees scratching the dog's back. His eyes were closed and a back leg was patting a mile a minute. Amy smiled and went to the cupboard for a coffee mug. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Callen smiling back at her. Amy pulled a second mug down and made them coffee. He came into the kitchen and leaned on the stove.

"How are you this morning?" he asked flipping her hair. "I like the bed-head."

"I'm sore. I don't sleep down here very often and pay for it when I do." She told him handing him the first cup of coffee.

"What hurts?" he asked running his hand down her back.

Amy looked behind her to see if any of the kids were watching. "It's just my neck. I'll be fine."

"Do you want me to rub your neck for you?" he asked setting his coffee down, reaching for her neck.

"No not now, not in front of the kids." She said elbowing him in the stomach.

"Maybe later, then?" he said smiling.

Jenny came into the kitchen and smiled at them. Amy picked her up and gave her a tight squeeze then asked how she slept. Jenny returned the hug and told her she slept well. She looked over at Callen and reached for him. Callen took her and gave her a hug too. Jenny kissed him on the cheek and squirmed out of his arms then ran into the family room. Amy's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Callen and Jenny together. She wished Rick showed the kids that much affection. Callen wiped a tear as it rolled down her cheek and wrapped her in his arms.

Amy inhaled deeply and smiled wanting to smell him for the rest of her life. Callen smelled Amy's hair then kissed the top of her head. Amy looked up at him and stepped away when they heard footsteps. Kristy appeared in the kitchen and walked over to give Callen a hug.

"Thank you for spending one more night with us, Callen." She said.

"You're welcome, Kristy. I had fun. I'm going to miss you guys." He told her.

"You're going to come back, aren't you?" Ricky asked coming in to join them.

"Well, if you're Mom and Dad don't mind. I'd like to come back to spend time with you." He said looking up at Amy.

"Mom, can Callen come back sometime? Maybe when Daddy goes to twenty-nine palms?" Ricky asked hugging Amy's waist. She bent over and kissed his forehead.

"We'll see baby. It depends on how busy Callen is. We should also talk to Daddy, see if he minds if Callen spends time with us while he's gone." Amy said looking back at Callen.

"What time are you leaving?" Kristy asked Callen.

"Well, it's just after seven now. I'm kind of hungry and was thinking about going to Dunkin Donuts." He said and the kids cheered. "I heard you guys asking your Mom about getting donuts a few days ago. Is that okay, Amy?"

"Yes Mommy, Please…" All three kids begged.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll pay you back when I get some extra money." She told the kids and then Callen.

"It's the least I could do. You loaned me a couch for the last week and made some pretty great meals." He said smiling.

"Alright, let me go get dressed and I'll go get the donuts." He told them picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

"Why don't we all go?" Ricky asked.

Callen and Amy looked at each other warily. "I don't know if that's the best idea. I don't think Daddy would like to hear from someone that they saw all of us getting donuts without him. Don't you think he might be a little jealous?"

"Where is Daddy?" Ricky asked.

Amy tried to figure out how to answer. "Mommy and Daddy kind of had some words yesterday morning."

"Because he left us in the attic?" Ricky suggested.

Looking at Callen, she continued. "Yes, because Daddy left us up in the attic. He went to work and probably stayed in the barracks or with a friend last night."

"Is he coming back or is he going to be gone like he was in North Carolina?" Ricky asked.

Amy looked from Ricky to Kristy, kneeling down to look at them better, she said. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen. We were very mad at each other. I'm sure Daddy will come back in a day or two. Until then, we'll just think that Daddy's in the field or on duty. Okay?"

"It's practice for when he goes to twenty-nine palms, right?" Ricky said.

"Yes, exactly." She told them. "You know what; I think it would be okay if we all went to get the donuts, why don't you guys go get dressed? Kristy, can you get Jenny dressed, please?"

"Yes Mama." Kristy said running over to the family room to get Jenny they up the stairs.

Amy stood and leaned against the counter. Callen walked over to her and rested his arms on her shoulders. "I think you handled that well."

"I know there are more questions to come." She told him putting her palms on his chest.

"Why don't you go up and get dressed?" Callen suggested.

"Alright." She said patting his chest and walking away.

With the kids high on sugar, Amy sent them out to play. Callen followed Amy around the house as she picked up blankets and took them upstairs. He offered to help Amy get the mattress back up to Kristy's room. She gladly accepted the help. It was awkward pushing and pulling the queen-sized behemoth up the stairs, around two tight corners and into the room. Callen and Amy laid on the bed for a few minutes resting afterwards. Amy rolled over and put her head on his chest. Callen put his arms around her.

"Did you and Rick do this in the beginning?" Callen asked looking down at her.

Amy picked up her head and laid her chin on her hand. "In the first few years we did. After Rick got out in two thousand four, it stopped. That's when he started fooling around."

"I promise to do this with you at least once a day." He smiled.

Amy inched up so they were looking eye to eye. "I would love that."

"I would too." He admitted pulling her down for a kiss.

"We need to stop doing this." She said against his lips.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Hetty said she was going to come by this afternoon to talk to you." He told her putting his arm behind his head so he could look at her.

"Great, I'm going to have to explain why I stayed with Rick." She said burying her face in his neck.

"No, I think she's got something for you from your great-grandmother." He told her.

Amy gave him an odd look. "Something from my great-grandmother? I have no idea what it could be. What did she tell you?"

"She said something about her last wishes and your birthday. She's been working on it for a week now. I'm even wondering what it is." He told her running his hands through her hair.

"I know it can't be the house. Like I said it was sold before Grandma died." She told him.

"Do you want me to stay until she gets here?" he asked.

"I don't want you to go home." She told him.

Callen held her tight and kissed her head. "I don't want to go either, but I have to. We have to get back to normal life."

Amy looked at him. "I know. I just wish I could get out of this marriage and have you here too."

"I know, but you said you needed time. Let's see what Hetty has for you and go from there." He said.

"You know what it is don't you?" she smiled.

"I have an idea." He said laying flat again.

"What is it?" she said tickling his side.

Callen tried not to laugh. "I don't know, but I have a feeling it's your great-grandmother's house."

Amy stopped and stared at him. "I don't know how. The house was sold."

Callen flipped her on her back and lay on top of her. "Think about it, Amy. She bought one of the houses I grew up in. Did it ever occur to you that maybe Hetty's the one who bought it?"

Callen kissed her chest along the top of her shirt. "I never thought of it. What do you mean she bought one of the houses you grew up in?"

Callen pinned her arms above her head and kissed up her neck. "My mother was killed when I was four. Hetty brought my sister; Amy and I back to the US and had us placed in foster care."

"You're sister's name is Amy?" she asked looking curiously at him.

"Was Amy, she died when she was eleven." He told her somber-faced.

"I'm so sorry, Callen. What about your father?"

Callen rolled onto his side and propped his head on his arm. "I never knew my father. Yeah, my past is pretty complicated."

Amy rolled on her side to face him. "Do you have any family at all?"

"Hetty is the closest thing to a Mother I've got. Sam is one of my best friends. I consider the team my family." He told her.

"You've never been married?" she asked scratching his chest.

"When do I have the time? Look at us, we met on a case and you're married." He laughed.

"Yes," she said pushing him on his back "I won't be married forever."

Callen lay on his back and pulled Amy onto him. "No you won't. I can't wait."

"Are you going to be able to juggle work and a relationship?" she asked resting her chin on his chest.

"With every other woman I've ever tried to have a relationship with, it didn't work because they didn't understand how demanding the job is. I couldn't tell them what I did for a living because the majority of our work is done undercover." He told her.

"Kensi mentioned something about not being able to tell friends about what she does. I understand now. I thought you guys were just regular NCIS agents." She said with her chin digging into his ribs.

"Ouch," he said rubbing where her chin had been. "No we're in a class all our own."

"How does Sam's wife handle it?"

"Michelle is different. They met on a case. Not like us. They were working the case together, but with two separate agencies."

Amy was shocked. "Oh, I didn't know that."

"You don't need to repeat anything I've told you." He said looking at her with all seriousness.

Amy smiled, "My lips are sealed."

"You'd better believe they are." He said kissing her again.

The doorbell rang at a quarter after one; the kids went running to the door. In spite of Amy telling them that she would get the door, they had it open by the time she walked into the living room. There stood Hetty, all four-foot-something. Amy was still intimidated by her, with knots in her stomach; she opened the screen and invited her in. The kids were excited, screaming and yelling. Callen came around the corner and pulled them back into the dining room to finish lunch. Hetty looked surprised to see him there and raised an eyebrow at him.

Hetty followed Amy into the family room, dining area and sat the legal-sized envelope on the counter. Amy eyed Callen, who smiled briefly. Once the kids were done eating and back outside to play, Hetty joined Amy and Callen at the table.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise." She said looking at Callen. "I figured you'd have gone home last night with the others."

"I ordered pizza and we watched movies last night. The kids wanted me to stay one more night." Callen told her knowing one day soon he'd hear about it.

"Did Richard come back home last night?" she asked looking at Amy.

"How did you know he left?" Amy asked.

"Mr. Hanna neglected to turn off his Com yesterday morning." She said matter-of-factly.

"No, Rick didn't come home and I haven't heard from him." She told her. "I suspect he won't come home until he knows Sam and Callen are gone."

Callen stood and said. "I'm going to head home. I'll call you later, okay?"

Amy stood "Oh, I thought you were going to stay a while longer."

Callen walked towards the living room and gave Amy a hug. "I think you and Hetty need to talk alone. You can tell me about it later."

"Oh okay, you'd better say goodbye to the kids, they'll be upset if you don't." she said looking up at him.

He bent his head and kissed her neck then whispered in her ear. "I love you, Amy."

As he walked out the door, she stood there stunned. "What did you say?" she called after him, but he never turned back around. She returned to the dining room where Hetty was waiting.

Hetty shook her head. "What are your plans, Amy? Are you planning on leaving Rick?"

"As soon as I can get a job and find a place to live I will leave." She told Hetty.

Hetty stood and walked to the counter to pick up the envelope and handed it to Amy. "This is something your great-grandmother asked me to do for you."

Amy held the envelope for a few moments before she opened it. She looked at Hetty. From the envelope, she pulled what looked like a lease agreement on the very top. As she tipped the envelope to make sure there was nothing else in it when a key fell out and bounced on the table. She looked at Hetty again and noticed an ear to ear grin.

"What is this?" she asked picking up the key.

"That is the key to your house. The paperwork is a lease agreement. Once your divorce is final, I will turn the deed over to you. There is also a check there for you, which is what the property earned in rent for the last nineteen years. It should be more than enough for you and the kids to live on until you find employment."

Amy was in disbelief. She flipped through the papers and found the check for almost two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine this is what Hetty had for her. She was shocked. Hetty waited patiently for her to speak.

"Now, please tell me what is going on with the two of you." She pointed towards the door.

Amy sat there silent trying to figure out exactly what to say. "I don't really know, to be honest. There's been some flirting and he's expressed some feelings."

Hetty smiled. "Are the feelings mutual?"

Amy tried to hide a smile, "Yes, they are."

"He'll be very good for you. It will be a complicated relationship, but I think you can handle it. Since you already know what he does for a living, you're already a head above the rest. I'm sure you've seen how demanding the job is, though you're already accustomed to the military lifestyle with deployments and field ops. Callen's life isn't much different. There is more danger involved; I cannot lie to you about that." Hetty told her.

"I understand that. Nothing will happen between us until after the divorce is final." She reassured Hetty

"You and Callen can start seeing each other after you've filed for divorce, providing Richard doesn't interfere."

"Is the house ready for the kids and me to move into?" Amy asked, her mind still reeling.

"The previous tenants moved out in the beginning of April. The property management company went through and fixed any damage they had done. I'd like you to look at the house just to see if there are any renovations you'd like to have done. I went through it this morning and the kitchen could use to be updated. The bathrooms are livable for now, but could also stand to be updated." Hetty explained still smiling.

"I'm speechless. I don't know what to think. I never, ever expected this." She said tears in her eyes. "What about the money, Rick's entitled to half of everything I have?"

"I can put the money in trust for you and give you a monthly stipend. There is a clause in your great-grandmother's will that stipulates that it is for you only, that it cannot be split in the event of separation or divorce." Hetty told her. "I think; if you want the renovations done, we can have them done by June when the kid's get out of school."

"I still cannot believe it. This means everything to me. My great-grandmother's house is mine."

Ricky came in the house crying. Amy thought instantly he was hurt, but saw no blood as he walked into the kitchen. "What's wrong Ricky?" Amy asked standing and putting her arms around him. Hetty stood as well and walked over putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Why did he have to leave? What did you say to him to make him leave?" he yelled at his mother.

"Who are you talking about, Ricky?" Hetty asked.

He looked from Amy to Hetty and stopped sobbing. "Callen. Why did Callen go home?"

Amy sat in a chair and pulled him to her. "Honey, the case that Callen and Sam were working is over. They had to go. Sam has a family and I'm sure Callen had some things he needed to do before he went back to work on Monday."

Ricky stomped his foot and threw his arms at his sides. "That's Monday, this is Saturday. He could've stayed another night and gone home tomorrow."

"Ricky, would you have reacted any differently if it were tomorrow? No, I don't think you would. I know it's hard right now since we don't know when Daddy's coming home, but Callen has his own life and we aren't part of it." She explained.

"Is he going to come back sometime?" Ricky asked.

"I'm sure he will, in fact, I'll tell him to when he comes to work on Monday. Would that make you feel better?" Hetty asked.

"How do you know Callen?" Ricky asked looking almost eye to eye with Hetty.

"Mr. Callen works for me. So does Kensi, Sam and Mr. Deeks." She told him.

Ricky cocked his head to the side and gave her a strange look. "Mr. Deeks?"

"Marty honey, Deeks is his last name." Amy said then it occurred to her that Hetty referred to Callen as Mr. Callen. "Hetty, why did you call Callen Mr. Callen? I thought Callen was his first name, not his last."

"Are you better now Ricky?" Hetty asked. When he nodded she asked if he could go back out and play for a few more minutes while she and Amy talked. Once the screen door slammed, she continued. "Callen is his last name."

"Wait, I remember the night Gunny Calke was arrested that Sam called him G or something like that." Amy said.

"He only knows his first initial, which is G. Did he tell you anything about his past?" Hetty asked

"Yes, he mentioned something about it this morning. That his mother was killed when he was four, you had he and his sister placed into foster care and that she died when she was eleven." Amy told her.

"There is a little more, but that is the sum of it." Hetty said sitting again.

"He also said he knows nothing of his father and that you bought the home he currently lives in."

"Yes, both of those facts are true. Do you remember your great-grandmother ever mentioning I worked for the CIA?" She waited for Amy to answer. When she nodded, Hetty continued. "I knew Callen's mother Clara. I was her handler. Callen's grandfather was also with the CIA, working in Romania. To make a long story short. Callen's mother met a man while in Romania and dropped off the grid. When she finally got in touch with me, she had two young children and begged for me to get her out of the country. I was in the process of making the arrangements when Clara was murdered. Callen and Amy were placed in an orphanage. I brought them back here and placed them in foster care. As much as I tried to keep an eye on them, Amy drowned when she was eleven."

"Good lord. He didn't mention anything about Romania. The little girl you adopted, Lauren. What is she doing now-a-days?"

Hetty cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses. "Most recently, Lauren joined NCIS and worked undercover in Romania on a case associated with the murder of Callen's mother. There's no easy way to say this, but she passed away last year. I didn't think you'd remember Lauren, you were what five or six when you met her."

"Hetty, I'm so sorry. If I had known, I never would've brought it up." Amy said sympathetically. Wishing she hadn't brought up her brother's childhood crush.

"Oh Amy, how could you have known. It's getting easier as the days pass." Hetty told her wiping away a tear. "If you tell anyone, especially Callen that I was crying, I'll kick you."

Amy laughed. "I won't say a word. You still have everyone thinking you some hard-assed bitch, don't you?"

"Look at me, how else am I going to command respect from a man like Sam?" Hetty laughed. "My dear, I need to be getting back up the road. Let me know when you want to come up and look at the house."

"I will. Let me see when Rick comes back. It will probably be next weekend." She said leaning down hugging Hetty. "Thank you so much. This is the best thing that has happened for the kids and me in a very long time."

"You're very welcome. You've earned it. I will be expecting your call. Give the children my love." She said as she walked out the door.

Amy walked back to the table and read through all the paperwork from the envelope and examined the key. She clutched the key in her hand, held it to her chest and cried. Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

It was just past ten when Callen's phone rang, he didn't recognize the number. It was the same area code and first three numbers as Amy's. His heart raced as he answered.

"Callen, where are you?" she said.

"Kristy? What's wrong?" he asked setting the book he was reading aside.

"Something's wrong with my Mom. She won't stop shaking and can't get warm. I took her temperature and it was over one hundred three. I made her take some medicine over an hour ago and it's not working. She says her stomach hurts really bad. I'm scared." Kristy said frantically.

"Is your Dad home?" he asked shooting up, grabbing a shirt.

"No, I tried to call him, but he's not answering." Callen could hear a painful moan or cry in the background. "It's okay Mommy. I know it hurts."

"I'm on my way Kristy. Call me if it gets any worse. I'll be there as soon as I can." He said and slipped on a pair of shoes then ran for the door.

When he got to Amy's forty-five minutes later, he found Kristy standing at the open front door. As soon as she saw him she burst into tears. "It's okay honey. Where's your Mom." He told her hugging her.

"She's in the family room." She said grabbing his hand pulling him along.

He was shocked when he saw Amy. She was sheet white and sweating. Covered in at least five blankets, yet she still shook violently. Callen touched her forehead and felt she was still burning up. He looked over to Ricky and Jenny, they were huddled together, clearly scared. He called them over and held them, telling them it was going to be ok. Callen stood and told them he'd be right back and walked out the door. He stood on the porch frantically thinking for a second. There were lights on at Kathy's and he ran across the street. He rang the doorbells several times and pounded on the door.

"Callen, what's wrong." She said when she answered the door.

"There's something wrong with Amy, I need to get her to the ER. Can the kids come over here?" he said quickly.

"Rick's not there?" she said stepping out looking across the street at Amy's driveway. "Of course, I'll help you bring them over."

"Thank you." He said turning on his heels and walked quickly back to Amy's. "Ricky, Kristy, and Jenny you guys are going to go over to Kathy's while I take your Mom to the hospital."

"No, I want to go with you." Ricky cried.

"If I take you and your sisters with us, I have to stay in the waiting room with you. I want to be able to go back with your Mom so I know exactly what's going on. I promise I'll call you as soon as I know anything." He told all three of them. "Now come on, let's get you over to Kathy's so I can get your Mom help."

Callen swept Jenny up in his arms and carried her over to Kathy's. Ricky and Kristy followed. Once they were in the house, Callen took Kathy's cell phone number and ran back to Amy's. She was still hot and shaking. As he picked her up, she screamed in pain. "I'm sorry. I need to get you to the hospital."

"It's okay. Just go." She told him.

Amy was doubled over in pain the entire drive to the Naval Hospital. Callen had his hand on her head trying to assure her that everything would be okay. Every time she would relax, the violent shaking would return and she would cry out in pain. Instead of parking in the parking lot, he drove her to the ambulance entrance and carried her into the ER. Several nurses ran out and told him that he couldn't park there and that he'd have to bring her in the other way. He ignored them and walked her over to and empty bed then turned around.

He pulled his credentials from his pocket and shoved them in their faces. "My name is Special Agent Callen. This woman is under my protection. I don't know what's wrong with her, but you need to look at her now. She is a very important witness to a case we're working and if something happens to her, it's on your heads."

Immediately, a nurse went to Amy's side and started taking her vital signs and temperature. Another took Callen to the front desk to get Amy checked in. Luckily, he'd thought enough to grab Amy's wallet on the way out the door so he could present her military ID and insurance card, if needed. He saw Amy bring rolled out of the ER and down a long hallway. He ran to her side and asked where they were taking her.

"We're just taking her for an x-ray, we'll bring her right back." He was told. While he waited, he called Hetty to let her know what was going on. She asked that he keep her posted. He then called Kristy to let her know that they were there and Amy had been taken for an x-ray. Callen asked for Rick's number so he could call him himself, hoping that a call from someone other than Amy or the kids would make him answer.

He dialed the number and walked towards the Pediatrics waiting room. Rick didn't answer, but Callen left a message. "Rick, it's Callen. Amy's at the ER, I don't know what's going on. You need to get down her as soon as you can. I left the kids at Kathy's house. Call me back as soon as you get this message."

After he hung up, he called Sam. They talked for a few minutes until he saw Amy being wheeled back to the ER. He told Sam he had to go and hung up, but not before Sam told him that he was on his way.

Once Amy was back in her curtained area, the nurse pulled the curtain and told them that the radiologist was looking at the films and they'd have the results as soon as possible. Callen sat on the edge of the gurney looking at Amy. She was still pale; her eyes were red and sunken in. He'd never seen anyone look this bad and it scared him.

Another nurse came in with a warm blanket and draped it over her. Amy looked at the woman and tried to smile. A second nurse appeared behind her with a plastic handled box fill of vials, syringes and needles. Callen stepped away to give them space to work. The phlebotomist put on a set of gloves uncovered Amy's right arm and tied the rubber band just above her elbow, then retrieved an alcohol swab from the box and swiped it down her arm before feeling for a vein. With one finger on the vein, she reached back into her box for a butterfly needle and opened it. Then she reached back in for a plastic tube and five or six vials with different colored rubber stoppers.

Callen watched as the nurse carefully inserted the needle in Amy's arm. He saw Amy's body jump and the pain in her eyes. With one hand on Amy's arm and the other on the needle, the nurse maneuvered the needle into position and reached for the plastic tube, connecting it to the long tubing on the needle. Once they were attached, the blood flowed freely and she grabbed the vials, untied the band and filled them one by one. Once they were all full, she removed the needle, placed a piece of gauze on the wound and placed a piece of surgical tape over it. She instructed Amy to keep her arm bent to minimize the bruising. Amy did the best she could to nod.

Once the two nurses left, Callen sat back down next to Amy. She looked over at him, the pain still in her eyes. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

She slowly shook her head and weakly said, "Not really. Thank you for coming. I didn't know Kristy called you."

"She was so scared when she called. I couldn't not come." He told her rubbing her head.

"Has anyone been able to get a hold of Rick? I know Kristy called him from both mine and her phones." She asked.

"I tried calling him, but he didn't answer. I did leave him a message telling him you were here. Hopefully he gets it. You don't think something happened to him do you?" he asked hoping the conversation wasn't too much for her right now.

Amy took a ragged breath and winced in pain. "No, I think he's just avoiding us."

The nurse returned with an IV bag of fluids, along with another tray of goodies. Amy knew what was coming and a tear rolled down her cheek. Callen caught it with his finger and reached under the blanket to hold her left hand. "Actually sir, we're going to put the IV in her left hand since we took blood from the right arm. How about we change sides?"

Callen looked at Amy who was already holding out her right hand for him. "How good are you with IV's?" Amy asked the nurse. She looked at her nametag and noticed her name was Janet.

"I've been doing it for years. Hopefully it won't hurt too much. I take it you've had some bad experiences with IVs?" she laughed.

"More than I care to remember." Amy told her.

"Well, don't worry. We'll get through this. Besides you've got this big bad special agent here to comfort you." She said and then added. "He's pretty hot, I wouldn't mind if he comforted me."

Amy smiled and looked at Callen who had turned a bright shade of red. She squeezed his had trying to get him to smile, which he finally did. The nurse was right, while it was painful; it was nothing like her past experiences. The sheets and floor weren't dripping with her blood like they had been in the past and the nurse didn't have to move the needle much trying to find the right position. There were just a few drops of blood at the puncture site and Amy smiled.

"See, I told you I was good." The nurse smiled putting a clear piece of wide take over the IV site holding it into place. "Ok, we're going to give you some fluids and something for the pain. We put your blood work in STAT, so hopefully we should have them back in an hour. I'm going to go see if the radiology report is in. Is there anything you need or anything you can tell me about your medical history?"

"I was diagnosed with a Hiatal Hernia in two thousand eight after my daughter was born. They found it during a Barium Swallow. The only thing I take for it is Nexium, which is also for GERD." She told the nurse.

"Alright, have you had more abdominal pain than usual?" she asked.

Amy looked at Callen, knowing he was going to be angry with that she was about to say. "Yes, I've been having sharp stabbing pains under my ribs for a few days. Chest pain and the feeling that I had something caught in my throat or that my esophagus was crooked or something like that. Does that make any sense?"

The nurse eyed Amy. "And you didn't think with symptoms like that you should come in and have yourself looked at?"

Callen had a look on his face that told Amy he wasn't happy. "There was a lot going on this past week. I really didn't have the time to come in."

"Damn it Amy, you should've said something. I would've made sure you came in." Callen said angrily, and then softened his expression.

"I'm sorry, you guys were busy and I didn't want to bother you with it." She told him.

"It's ok, better late than never, I guess." He told her squeezing her hand.

"Any other symptoms?" the nurse asked. "Difficulty breathing?"

"Yes a little when the chest pain sets in." she told her.

The nurse disappeared and Callen turned his attention to Amy. She had a little more color in her face and the pain in her eyes had subsided. "Feeling a little better, I see."

"Yeah, I am, a little loopy too. I don't know what she gave me for the pain, but it worked fast." She said.

"So how long have you been feeling like this?" Callen asked.

They were interrupted when the woman he spoke to at the front desk opened the curtain. "Mr. Callen, there is a Mr. Hanna in the waiting room. He'd like to have a word with you."

"You called Sam?" Amy asked as Callen followed the woman out.

"I did, I didn't know who else to call." He told her.

Sam was standing by the reception desk with a worried look on his face. He was slightly relieved when Callen came out with a smile. "How's she doing?"

"They took her for an x-ray, drew blood and started and IV. She's got some color back and isn't in as much pain. She told the nurse that she's been feeling poorly for a few days. I can't believe she never said anything to either of us about it." He told Sam stepping away from the desk.

"Are you surprised that she didn't. She seems like the kind of woman who doesn't think much about herself." Sam pointed out.

"True. She's really stubborn, isn't she?" Callen agreed.

Sam looked around the waiting room. "Where are the kids?"

"I asked Kathy if she could watch them. You know I tried to call Rick and he won't answer my calls either." Callen told him.

Sam saw the nurse walking towards them and pointed so Callen could talk to her. "Mr. Callen, I wanted to let you know the doctor has ordered an ultrasound. We got the radiology report back and I'm going to check with the lab to see if the blood work is back." She smiled and walked away.

"Get back in there. Let me know what they say. Michelle will be on her way up after seven to get the kids and sit with them at Amy's if she hasn't been released. I'll meet her there so the kids aren't uncomfortable since they've never met her." Sam told him patting his arm.

"Alright, thanks Sam. I'll keep you posted." He said walking back through the triage area.

When he pulled back the curtain, another nurse was at Amy's side with an ultrasound machine. The blankets were pulled down around her hips and her shirt was tucked under her bra. Amy's abdomen was covered with a clear gel. Amy looked over at him and grimaced in pain as the tech dug the instrument deep into her stomach below her ribs. He immediately went to Amy's side and held her hand, but not too tight because of the IV.

A tall man with salt and pepper hair entered the area and looked over the tech's shoulder. He looked at Amy and then to Callen. "I'm Doctor Burke; I'm one of the surgeons on duty tonight. How are you feeling, Mrs. Russell?"

"A little better, not much." She said

The nurse, Janet returned with paperwork in her hand. "Doctor, the labs."

"Thank you Janet. Do me a favor and call upstairs. Have them prep and OR." He said looking briefly at the lab results then back at Amy. "Alright Mrs. Russell, we're going to have to take you in for surgery. It seems that your Hiatal hernia changed to a Para esophageal hernia. Part of your stomach has slipped through the Haitis and is sitting next to your esophagus. The pressure has caused your stomach to become strangled, so-to-speak, and it's cutting off the blood flow to your stomach. We're going to do the procedure with Laparoscopic technique, to move your stomach back to its normal position. It's minimally invasive and you should be up and around with restrictions within a day or two."

Callen looked at Amy with his heart full of fear. "What's the fever from?" He asked the doctor.

"There is a secondary infection that is possibly associated with the hernia, but we aren't sure right now. Do you have any questions Mrs. Russell?" he said looking from Callen to Amy.

"No, I know about the procedure, my mother had her gallbladder removed and my sister had her appendix removed." She told the doctor, and then looked at Callen. "It's okay. It's an easy surgery. I'll be fine."

"There is the slight chance that we will have to open you up with a larger incision and do the surgery old school. That will take a while longer for you to recover from." He told her.

"Is this life threatening?" Callen asked worried that he'd lose Amy before he even got the chance to be with her.

"No, your wife is going to be just fine. Aside from her smoking and high cholesterol, she's very healthy." He assured Callen.

"Amy's not my wife. I've been assigned to protect her. I work with NCIS." He told the doctor.

"Oh, where is your husband, we're going to need him to fill out some paperwork."

"We don't know exactly where he is. He left early Friday morning and we haven't been able to reach him since." Amy explained.

"Well, that changes things. We can have you fill out the paperwork if you're okay Mrs. Russell. Give me your husband's number and I'll try calling him. These Marines seem to respond to the seven-two-five numbers better than they would a home or cell number. If I can't reach him, I'll contact his command if you'll give me that information."

Amy nodded and the doctor left the curtained area to retrieve the paperwork. She looked at Callen who had resumed his position on the bed next to her. She brought her hand to his face and placed it on his cheek. "I'm going to be fine, Callen. I promise you. Did you mean what you said when you left yesterday afternoon?"

Callen took her hand in his and kissed her palm. "You mean when I told you I love you? Yes I did."

Amy smiled. Tears filled her eyes. "I love you too. If Rick brought me here, he'd be in the waiting room instead of by my side like you are. Thank you for redeeming my faith in the male species."

Callen laughed and leaned in to kiss her forehead when the doctor came back with a clipboard and pen. He stopped for a minute looking at them then preceded to hand it to Amy. "I tried calling your husband, but he didn't answer. I take it you two don't have the best relationship."

Amy was very blunt, "No and he's probably with another one of his girlfriends. I'm moving out and filing for divorce in June, when our kids get out of school."

The doctor looked at Callen and smiled. "Alright then, as soon as she's done with the paperwork, can you bring it to the nurses' station? I'm going to go up and prep for the procedure. I'll see you in a few minutes, Mrs. Russell." Callen nodded.

Within twenty minutes, Callen and Sam sat in the surgery waiting room. The TV was on, but neither was paying attention to it. Sam noticed that Callen was lost in his thoughts. He didn't know what to tell him because he'd never seen Callen like this about a woman. Sam smiled at the thought that his partner; a man who had tried so hard to keep people at arm's length; had finally let someone in. He could see gradual changes in his personality over the last week and knew Callen was head-over-heels in love with Amy and no matter how hard Amy tried to hide it; she was in love with him too.

He thought of when he and Michelle met. The way they looked at one another; the way they couldn't keep their hands off each other. His own thoughts were interrupted when Kensi and Deeks appeared in the doorway. Kensi held a tray with four large cups of coffee. "What are you two doing here?" he asked.

Callen looked up and then at Sam. "How did you know we were here? Did you call them Sam?"

Kensi walked over and handed them each a coffee before she sat the tray on a side table. "Kathy called me and I called Deeks. How's Amy?"

Callen thanked her for the coffee and sat up in the chair. "She's in surgery, only been in there for about ten minutes." He said looking at Sam.

"Yeah, about that." He agreed.

As the time ticked by, Callen worried more and more. His team could see it and they became worried too. Callen's phone rang; he shot out of his chair and left the room.

"Hetty, I'm sorry I didn't call you. Amy's in surgery right now. She has something called a Para esophagael Hernia. Her stomach moved up through the hiatis and the blood was cut off to her stomach." He told her.

"Are you alright Mr. Callen? Have you called anyone or been able to reach Richard?" she asked.

"Sam, Kensi and Deeks are here with me and I haven't heard anything from Rick. The doctor tried calling before she went in for surgery, but he wouldn't answer." Callen explained.

"I assume you called Sam and the others?" she asked.

"No, I called Sam. Kathy called Kensi, Kensi called Deeks." He laughed. It was comforting knowing that his team rallied like this for him and the woman he loved.

"Very good, feels good to know your team is there for moral support when you need them, isn't it Mr. Callen? When you called Richard, did it go directly to voicemail or did it ring first?" she asked.

Callen knew exactly why she was asking. "It rang four or five times before it went to voicemail. The phone is on. He's just not answering it or he doesn't have it on him. Are you going to have Eric check the GPS location?"

"Yes, Mr. Callen and if I ever get my hands on him, I'll strangle him." She told him.

"I think you've got a long line of people ahead of you on that one." He laughed.

"Alright Mr. Callen, I'll let you get back in with your team. I'll let you know when we hear anything about his whereabouts." She said and hung up.

Callen walked back into the waiting room and sat down drinking his coffee.


	10. Chapter 10

The wait was almost too much for Callen, he thought he was going to go out of his mind if he didn't hear something about Amy soon. Kensi, Deeks and Sam chatted while Callen just sat there looking at his watch every two minutes. They tried several times to engage him in conversation, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Finally, the doctor came out to talk to them just before three in the morning. Callen stood immediately praying everything went the way they'd planned. Sam, Kensi and Deeks stood behind him just as eager for the new as he was. The team had never bonded with anyone from a case before; this experience was new to all of them.

Dr. Burke looked at the eager faces staring back at him and knew by their looks neither Sam nor Deeks was Amy's husband. "I take it you never got in touch with Staff Sergeant Russell." He said to Callen.

"No, he hasn't called back. How's Amy?" he asked impatiently.

"Mrs. Russell is fine; she's on her way to recovery. We were not able to do the surgery with the laparoscopic method. Nearly half of her stomach had passed through the Hiatis, so she has an incision about that big." He said with his fingers about four or five inches apart. "We were able to get her stomach back where it belongs and cleaned out the infection. She's going to be in a good deal of pain and with have a lot of restrictions for a couple weeks. Give them about fifteen minutes to get her situated and you can go in one at a time to see her."

"Thank you doctor." Callen said shaking his hand.

"You go on in G; I'll wait until they've moved her into a room before I go in to see her." Sam told him, Kensi and Deeks agreed.

"Alright you guys, thank you for being here. It means a lot." Callen said hugging Kensi, then shaking Sam and Deeks hands.

"Not a problem, like we had anything else to do on a Saturday night." Deeks laughed.

Kensi elbowed him in the ribs. "What he means to say is that we wanted to be here for you and Amy, right Deeks."

Holding his side, Deeks said. "Yes, that's what I meant."

"Well, I still appreciate it. I'm going to go see Amy." He said walking out of the waiting room.

He followed the signs hanging from the ceiling to the recovery room. The lights were turned down low. The only lights that were on were over the nurses' station and over the beds that patients occupied. A busty woman greeted him.

"Oh, you must be that sexy federal agent that Janet was talking about." She said.

Callen turned red, shook his head and smiled. "Yeah, I guess that would be me."

"Ooh, you are a cutie, aren't you? Mrs. Russell is one lucky woman to have you protecting her." She said leading him to Amy's bed.

Amy was asleep. She had the blanket pulled to her chest and oxygen tubes in her nose. As he touched her hand, he noticed the pulse-ox monitor clipped to her index finger. The nurse closed the curtain and walked away. Callen sat in the chair next to the bed and put his hand on her forearm. Amy flinched at his touch and moved her head. She licked her lips and moved one of her legs. Callen stood so she could see him since they had her lying flat on her back. Amy blinked a couple times to clear the fog then smiled weakly at him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"Mm, I don't know yet." She mumbled and dozed off again. Her eyes opened again and searched for him.

"It's okay, you can go back to sleep." He told her holding her hand with one hand and ran his fingers through her hair with the other.

Amy smiled up at him again. "I want to wake-up to your face for the rest of my life."

"In time Amy, let's get you better first." He told her.

She brought her right arm up around him pulling him close. Callen rested his head against hers and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Callen." She said softly kissing his temple.

Callen sat with Amy until she was fully awake and the orderlies came to take her to her room. He walked with them to the room and stood outside while they moved her from the gurney to the bed. Sam, Kensi and Deeks joined him outside the room while he waited. When they were allowed in, Callen went in alone. Amy was sitting up more and smiling at him. He told her that Sam, Kensi and Deeks were outside and she told him to let them in.

When Sam saw her, he was relieved and went over to give her a hug. Kensi did the same, but since Deeks hadn't had much interaction with her, he just sat in the corner. They sat and talked for a while. Amy had a room facing east, so they watched the sunrise shortly after six. It was beautiful, Amy felt renewed, like she'd been given another chance at life. She had a home for her and the kids and a man who truly loved her. She watched Callen laugh and joke with the rest of his team and thanked God for allowing her to suffer through the bad things in life in order to have something good like this.

Sam announced he was headed to Amy's to meet Michelle and his daughter and would bring the kids up later in the afternoon. Kensi and Deeks went to get something to eat and rest for a while, but promised to be back that evening to visit. Amy and Callen were left alone in the room. She carefully moved over so there was enough room for him to join her on the bed. Callen lay next to her until there was a knock at the door. He answered to find Agent Wrath.

"I heard you were in the hospital causing trouble." He said as he walked in the room. He had two cups of coffee and a white paper bag with muffins in it. "Hello Ma'am, I hope you're feeling better."

"I am thank you." She said looking to Callen for an introduction.

"Amy, this is Special Agent Wrath. He works out of the office here on base. He and his team were involved in helping us get Awan that night at your house." Callen told her sitting on the edge of her bed where he could see both Amy and Wrath.

"Well, thank you for your help." She smiled and grimaced from the pain then pressed the button on her morphine drip.

"You okay?" Callen asked seeing the pain clouding her eyes.

"Yeah, I will be in a few minutes." She said holding her breath.

"So what happened to you?" Wrath asked Amy.

After letting out the breath, she began. "I was diagnosed with a Hiatal Hernia after my youngest was born. Apparently my stomach passed up through the Hiatis and the pressure of both my esophagus and my stomach being there together, it was cutting off the circulation to my stomach. They tried to correct it with Laparoscopic surgery, but from what the doctor said when I was in recovery too much of my stomach was up there so they had to actually cut me open."

"Damn, I didn't know that could happen." He told her sympathetically.

"Neither did I." she laughed and immediately grabbed her stomach.

"So how long are you going to be in the hospital?" he asked looking from Amy to Callen.

"He said what," looking at Callen. "I'll be released tonight or tomorrow morning. Providing I don't run another fever, the incision looks good and normal bodily functions resume." She knew at that point that it was a little too much information and turned red.

Callen smiled and looked at Wrath who really didn't know how to respond.

Within a few minutes, Amy was dozing off again. Callen told her that he and agent Wrath were going to go for a walk so they didn't keep her up. Amy nodded and was in a deep sleep within minutes of them leaving. Callen asked how Awan was doing and decided to pay him a visit while Amy was asleep.

When Callen walked into Awan's room, he was watching TV. Awan noticed he was standing there and shut it off and gave him a cunning smile.

"Ah Agent Callen, I hear your friend is in residence here for a few days. I do hope it was nothing serious." He said.

"How did you hear about that?" Callen asked, suddenly worried for Amy's safety again.

"Oh you need not worry about that. Word travels fast when your agency is involved." He told him with a devious smirk.

Callen looked to Agent Wrath who shrugged his shoulders. Wrath made a mental note to investigate how he got that bit of information.

"I also heard that you got my poor friend, Rocco yesterday. Poor boy, you're responsible for making them homeless." He told Callen still with the defiant air about him.

"No, Rocco will have three hot's and a cot, his sister is being taken care of as well. I assure you they aren't losing the house and she isn't dropping out of school." Callen said thankful Kathy stepped in and offered to pay for the girl's schooling and paid the bank the monies owed to save the house from foreclosure.

"Interesting, I wonder how they're managing that." Awan said looking perplexed.

"How are you feeling?" Callen asked, not too interested in the answer.

"I'm in nowhere near the pain I was in yesterday and apparently I'm being transferred to another facility to await whatever you people think you're going to do to me." He laughed.

Callen smiled at Wrath and shook his head. "Well, I need to get going. It was good seeing you again Awan. Good luck to you, I think you're going to need it."

Callen and Wrath walked back down to Amy room and talked casually outside her door for a few minutes. "Do you want me to post someone outside her door just in case Awan gets a wild hair?"

Callen looked back at Amy door and thought about it. "I'm planning on staying here tonight, if she's still here tomorrow, yes, please."

Wrath agreed and asked Callen to let him know.

Callen went back into Amy's room and found her still asleep. He sat down next to the bed and watched her chest rhythmically rise and fall. He was so thankful it wasn't more serious than it was and looked forward to whatever the future held for them. Callen looked at his watch, it was almost eight thirty. The door opened and a nurse came in with a breakfast tray. She sat it on the table tray and wheeled it to her bedside. Amy woke when the tray crashed against the railing and shook the bed. She flinched as the pain ripped through her abdomen.

"I'm so sorry," the nurse said. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad." She said as the pain diminished.

"Well, they're going to take you off the IV and start you on oral pain medications. Go on and eat then I'll come back in and we'll get that IV out of your hand." She smiled and closed the door as she left the room.

Amy tried to pull herself to a more upright position, but found herself weaker than she thought. Callen was at her side to help. She smiled at him, thankful once again that he was there. She took a look at the food on the tray and offered Callen the orange juice. "That's instant heartburn, do you want it?"

He accepted it and stole a piece of bacon from the plate then kissed her and quickly walked out of arm's reach before she swatted at him. Instead, Amy laughed and offered him another piece. He declined and sat back down opening the orange juice. For a second, he remembered the Strychnine in Calke's and Auts' orange juice at the Brig. Amy watched him, trying to figure out what he was doing then remembered what he'd told her.

"Crap, I'm sorry. I didn't even think when I gave it to you. You don't have to drink it, pour it down the sink in the bathroom." She told him laughing weakly.

"No, it smells okay." He took a sip and grabbed his throat like he was choking then rolled his eyes in the back and made gurgling sounds.

Knowing the effects of Strychnine took longer to take effect, she threw a piece of toast at him. "You're an ass, you know that."

Callen laughed and threw the toast back at her. There was another knock at the door and a tall man in street clothes walked in. He looked at Callen and then Amy.

"Warrant Officer, what are you doing here?" Amy asked surprised to see him.

"I got a call from the Officer on Duty that you were in the hospital and Staff Sergeant Russell was nowhere to be found." He said looking suspiciously at Callen.

"Sir, this is Special Agent Callen with NCIS. Callen this is Rick's Warrant Officer." She said suddenly very uncomfortable.

The Warrant Officer shook Callen's hand, but was still curious as to why he was there with Amy. "Mrs. Russell, you do know that your husband is supposed to check in with the First Sergeant three times a day over the weekends, holidays and while on leave."

"Yes, I know. He hasn't been?" she asked not at all surprised that he hadn't been doing so.

"No, he hasn't. He mentioned that something happened Friday morning, but didn't elaborate. Can you tell me what happened?" he asked.

"Do you know anything about what's been going on the last week?" Callen asked.

The Warrant Officer looked surprised. "No, Staff Sergeant hasn't said anything, what is going on?"

Callen explained everything while Amy ate breakfast. She fought the urge to throw another piece of toast at Callen while he did.

When Callen was done, the Warrant Officer shook his head. He looked at Amy and asked, "You haven't seen or heard from your husband since four or five Friday morning?"

"No, I haven't. The kids called Friday night to say goodnight, but had to leave a message. Then my oldest called him from both my cell phone and hers to let him know I was sick. Agent Callen called him last night when we got to the ER and then the surgeon called him." She explained.

"You have no idea where his is?" he asked.

"I have a feeling he's staying with one of his girlfriends, but I don't know who she is or where she lives." Amy told him honestly.

The Warrant Officer shook his head. "He's still doing that shit? He was ordered to stop."

"I know he was, but he's still doing it. He left the kids and I hiding in the attic to go back to bed to text one of them. Apparently, he's been leaving early saying he's had PT, but he's been going to see them." Amy told him.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking what are your plans? This information doesn't bode well for his case. I hate to see you and the children suffer anymore than you already have." He asked.

"I just found out that a friend of the family purchased my great-grandmother's house nineteen years ago. She's had it with a property management company and has been saving the money the property made. So the kids and I will be moving into the house in June after they get out of school." She told him sipping ice water.

"Does your husband know about this?"

"No, I just found out myself yesterday. I do know that my great-grandmother asked that the house be given to me twenty years after her death. It will be twenty years this November. She stated in the will that the money made by the property was not to be split if I were to divorce." She said.

Nodding his head, "Very good, when do you plan on telling your husband about your plan?"

"After I've been released and recovered, not necessarily completely." She told him looking at Callen.

The nurse came back into the room and took the empty tray to a cart waiting outside. "I'll be right back to take out that IV."

"Alright Mrs. Russell, I'll let you get some rest. If we get in touch with your husband, would you rather he didn't come to the hospital?" he asked standing.

"No, he can come see me." She said.

"Who is taking care of the children if you don't mind me asking?" he asked before he walked out of the room.

"My partner and his wife came up from San Diego to watch them. They will be bringing them up to the hospital this afternoon to see Amy." Callen told him.

"Alright. Mrs. Russell, I'm sorry about your husband, but it looks like you're in very caring and capable hands." He said before he walked out.

Sam met Michelle at Amy's right at seven. The kids were so happy so seem him. They greeted him with big hugs and huge smiles. He introduced Kathy and all six of the kids to his wife and daughter. Kathy was about to make breakfast for all the kids and invited them to stay. Kathy and the kids were full of questions about Amy for Sam and he was happy to answer them. They were all relieved that it was not as serious as it could've been. Kristy, Ricky and Jenny begged to go see Amy soon.

Michelle explained to them that visiting hours didn't start until ten o'clock, but that they would go to the florist at the main exchange to buy Amy some flowers and balloons. The kids loved the idea and ate their stacks of pancakes and scrambled eggs as fast as they could so they could go home. Kathy asked them to pick up a bouquet of flowers for Amy from her and passed him fifty dollars when the kids weren't looking. Michelle asked what kind of flowers she wanted them to get for Amy, but Kathy didn't care as long as they got them for her.

They walked the kids back over to the house an hour later, Jenny and Sam's daughter were up the stairs going on and on about Monster High and Barbie's and tea parties. Kristy asked if they minded if she showered; neither Sam nor Michelle had a problem with it. The doorbell rang and Sam recognized the boys. He called Ricky to the door and was pleased when Ricky told them he didn't want to play because they were going to go see his Mom in the hospital. Within minutes of the boys leaving, their mother and father were at the door making sure Amy was alright.

The younger two girls came down stairs dressed in play clothes, looking like their favorite Monster High characters. "Look Daddy, I'm Cleo DeNile and Jenny's Draculara."

Sam had to laugh as the two girls posed like fashion models. He acted like he had a camera and took pictures of them saying, "Come on girls, work it for the camera." Michelle laughed so hard her side hurt.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell Callen and Amy about that." Michelle said laughing.

Sam shook his head. "You really don't have to, do you?"

"It's part of being a father, honey. It's cute to see you play with the girls." She told him looking at the photos on the wall behind them.

"Oh, look at this one." Sam said leading Michelle to the photo of Amy holding Kristy upside down.

"That is so cute. Look at Ricky as a baby. He was so tiny." She said wishing they had had another baby.

"Look at this one. This is Amy's Great-grandmother's wedding picture." Sam told her pointing to the black and white photo.

"Oh my gosh. Is that the one who left the house to Amy?" Michelle asked.

"Yes. I think Callen said she was going to go up to look at the house next weekend." Sam told her.

Michelle looked around for little ears before she asked her next question. "What do you think is going to happen with Callen and Amy?"

"I wish you could see them together." He said pulling Michelle to him by the hips. "Reminds me of us when we first met. Remember when everyone said we were sickeningly cute. Yeah, that's Amy and Callen."

Michelle reached up and kissed Sam. "It sounds like they're good for each other. With everything you say she's been through, she deserves to be happy and I can't think of anyone better than Callen. I bet he's good with the kids too. You've seen how he is with our little princess."

"He's great with the kids. I see lots of tea parties with Jenny in his future. And long nights sitting on the front porch with a shot gun waiting for Kristy's boyfriend to bring her home after a date. He'll be coaching Ricky's little league games while Amy cheers from the stands." He said half joking and half serious.

"Do you think they'll have one of their own?" Michelle asked resting her head on Sam's chest.

"I don't know. I hope they do if they stay together. Every man deserves to deal with the pregnancy cravings and a thousand pillows in the bed. Diaper changes and middle of the night feedings. First steps, first words."

"Getting peed on, pooped on and burped up on." Michelle interrupted with a laugh.

"Exactly." He said looking down at his wife. "He's going to be a good Dad. He already loves Amy and the kids. You should've seen him worrying about her during the surgery."

"I'm sure he was worried about her. We all were, Sam." She told him.

The girls came down stairs and asked for something to drink. Michelle had no idea where Amy kept anything, so she followed Sam into the kitchen. The girls took a few gulps and put the cups on the dining table then ran back up stairs to play. Kristy came downstairs and stood between the dining room and family room watching Sam and Michelle.

Michelle walked into the family room looking at two paintings on the walls. "Sam did you see these? I really like this one with the two chairs on the banks of a river."

"My Mom painted those." Kristy said.

Michelle and Sam turned to face her. "You Mom did that?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she did that one around Christmas and the other one she finished in February. She's got one she's been working on for a while." She said going to the bakers rack to get the unfinished painting.

"Those are paint by numbers?" Michelle asked, impressed.

"Yeah, they are." Kristy told her.

"Wow, you're Mom's got a steady hand. Some of those spots are so small." Michelle said taking the painting from Kristy.

"My Mom used this super fine brush for all of the really little spots." Kristy said going to a candle holder on the bar and returning with the brush.

"Wow, I can't wait to meet your Mom. She sounds like a really special lady." Michelle said handing the brush and painting back to Kristy.

"You'll like my Mom. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet and I'm not just saying that because she's my Mom." Kristy said smiling, with tears in her eyes.

"Oh honey, it's ok." Michelle said wrapping her arms around the little blonde girl. "Your Mom is fine."

"I know I was just so scared last night. When I couldn't reach my Dad, the only other people I thought of was Callen and Sam. I couldn't find your number so I called Callen." She cried.

"You did the right thing, Kristy." Sam told her with one arm around Michelle and the other around Kristy.

"My Mom has put up with so much crap from my Dad, it makes me so mad. I wish she and Callen could get together. He makes her happy. You should've seen them last night. We brought my mattress down here and pushed the coffee table and the loveseat out of the way. We watched movies and ate pizza all night. I saw them looking at each other the way people do on the movies when they're in love. I like Callen, he actually talks to Ricky and I." she told them.

Sam and Michelle just smiled; it wasn't their place to tell them whether or not Callen and Amy were talking about getting together. "You know what, how about we go to the exchange and pick out the flowers for your Mom. Then we can go see your Mom and Callen."

"Alright, I'll go get the girls." Kristy said running up the stairs.

The girls came down stairs, Sam's daughter jumped into his arms and asked. "Daddy, can I change my name for the day?"

"What do you want to change it to?" he asked.

"I want to be Cleo for the day and can we call Jenny Draculara for the day?" she asked with all seriousness.

Sam looked and Michelle who nodded, "Yes, I crown you Cleo deNile and you Draculara." He said taking an imaginary magic wand and tapping them on the head.

"Thank you Daddy." She said giving him a hug.

"Come one Ricky, let's go." Sam yelled up the stairs.

They locked the house and stood there doing a head count, trying to figure out how they were going to get everyone there. "We can take my Mom's van." Kristy said taking the keys from Sam and opening the sliding doors with the remote. "I don't know how much gas is in it, but we should be able to get there and back."

"We can get some gas if we have to." Michelle said walking to the van.

"There's a pull down seat for Cleo if she needs it." Kristy said. "Come one Draculara, let's get you in your car seat."

Sam's daughter beamed.

"Sam, can you help me put the back seat up." Ricky asked opening the trunk.

Kristy's friends Lauren and Mikayla came running across the street asking if she could play. Kristy explained that Amy had surgery early that morning and they were on the way to see her. The girls understood. Lauren told Kristy that she was going to ask her Dad to take her up to the hospital later.

Once they were in the van, Sam asked for directions to the exchange and looked in the rearview mirror at Kristy.

"At the stop sign coming out of housing, make a left. Go down the kill to the stop light and make another left. At the first light make another left and a left into the parking lot." She told him.

From the backseat Ricky called out. "He's making another left turn!" All of the kids laughed hysterically.

Kristy's directions were perfect. They parked close to the door and went in to pick the flowers. Jenny immediately went to a table that had delicate clear glass vases shaped like swans and cats. She chose a cat vase with three Fire and Ice Roses in it. Ricky found a Peace Lily, commenting that he remembered his Mom having one when they lived with their grandparents in Northern California. Kristy picked a bouquet of Lilies in a bright red vase. Next, they picked something from Kathy. They found a very pretty bouquet of roses, lilies and baby's breath. Michelle picked a miniature topiary made from a plant similar to an Azalea. Each child picked a get well Mylar balloon and one latex balloon. They walked out with the eight balloons and five bouquets or plants.

Callen was sitting on the bed next to Amy with his arm around her neck, her head resting on his shoulder. They talked about the future and the world of possibilities open to them. They heard a commotion coming from the hall. Callen helped Amy sit forward so he could move his arm.

"Hah, I know those voices." She said smiling at Callen.

"Yeah, that would be the kids." He said excited to see them.

He leaned down and gave Amy a kiss before he went to the curtain blocking the door and pulled it back. It was a mass of balloons and flowers. Once the kids saw Amy, they went running towards her room yelling for her at the top of their lungs. Amy shook her head and buried her face in her hands. She saw Sam and his wife trailing behind walking quickly with their heads down laughing.

"Hi Callen, Ricky said leaning into him, giving him a hug with one arm. "Mommy this is for you." Ricky walked over to the window sill and placed the plant on it, then went to Amy's bedside.

"Hello my baby." She said to him reaching the best she could to give him a hug and kiss.

Jenny came running in with the cat vase over her head. She too placed it on the window sill. Callen lifted her over the railing so she could hug and kiss Amy without putting pressure on her stomach. Kristy came in and kissed Amy on the cheek before setting the flowers next to her brother's and sister's. Sam and Michelle's daughter came in carrying the eight balloons and handed them to Callen before he bent down to give her a hug. Callen tied the balloons to a chair in the corner.

"This is from Kathy and that one's from us." Sam said walking over to the window sill. "Amy, this is my wife Michelle and our daughter Cleo; for the day."

"Well hello Cleo, nice to meet you." She said shaking her hand. "Hello Michelle, I've heard so much about you."

Michelle kissed Callen on the cheek as she passed him and gave Amy a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Callen's been taking good care of me. Sam, do you want to know what he did to me?"

"G, what did you do?" Sam asked knowing by the smile on Amy's face it was good.

"Amy offered me her orange juice since it was going to give her heartburn. I opened it and thought of Calke and Auts. I guess it took Amy a couple minutes to figure it out. She told me to dump it down the drain. I took a sit and grabbed my throat, rolled my eyes into the back of my head and made a gurgling sound." He told them trying not to laugh.

"That's just wrong, G." Sam told him laughing.

"Callen, I can't believe you did that to her." Michelle said laughing. "What did you do Amy?"

"I think I threw some toast or something at him. I know I called him and ass."

Rick stepped off the elevator and walked directly to the nurses' station. He asked which room Amy was in. He was directed to the room at the end of the hall. He was furious that Amy had called the command. The charge of UA that they threatened him with was the last thing he needed since he was still waiting for whatever they were going to do with him after Maggie's call. He was stark-raving mad when he got Callen's message and knew there was something more than a friendship going on between them. He checked his phone as he walked down the hall and noticed he had a text message and stopped to read it. He smiled as his eyes scanned the words- 'Hey Baby. I had so much fun the last couple days. Are you coming back tonight? Love you XOXOXO.'

Quickly he looked around and typed his reply- 'Hey Sexy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get away tonight. My x-wife is in the hospital and I don't know where my kids are. I'll call you when I know more.' Rick put his phone back in his pocket and walked on to Amy's room.

Sam noticed that Amy was looking out into the hall. He turned to look and saw Rick walking towards her room. He looked back at Amy who had a look of apprehension in her eyes. She quickly looked at Callen. Sam called him and pointed out the door. He looked from Sam to Amy who mouthed Rick's name. He too saw the look in Amy's eyes. Sam leaned over to Michelle and asked that she take the kids down to the cafeteria after they said hello to their father. Michelle nodded her response.

Rick heard voices in Amy's room and immediately recognized the three kids. Then he heard Callen and Sam's, sending his blood pressure through the roof. Not only had that son-of-a-bitch brought Amy to the hospital, but he was still there with her. He knocked on the door before he went in as a kind of warning. Sam and Michelle turned to look at him and moved aside so he could join them.

Ricky, Kristy and Jenny were happy to see him and ran to him. He hugged all three and stood upright again. Sam nodded to Michelle and she asked the four kids if they were either hungry or thirsty, then led them out of the room. Rick watched the woman walk away with his three children and immediately turned around, staring venomously back at Amy.

"Who's the bitch and where's she taking my kids?" he said directing his question at Callen and Sam.

Sam was ready to pummel Rick, but kept his cool. "That's my wife. She's taking the kids to the cafeteria to get something to eat and drink. I figured you didn't really want them here for this conversation."

Sam offered Amy a faint smile; she nodded and smiled back thanking him. "Where have you been Rick?"

"Why the hell did you call my command? Do how much more trouble you just got me into?" he spat at Amy.

"I didn't call your command." She told him without emotion.

Rick turned to Callen. "You called them?"

"No Rick, the surgeon called the O.O.D. and the O.O.D called the Warrant Officer. Callen and I had nothing to do with it." She told him, knowing he didn't believe her.

"You lying bitch. You probably told them about what happened Friday morning too." He said through clenched teeth.

"When your Warrant Officer came by to see Amy earlier this morning, I told him." Callen announced with a smirk.

"Why didn't you tell the command what was going on at the house the past week?" Amy asked knowing he would've had to answer more of his commands questions than he wanted to.

"Why the hell does it matter? It was your fault we got involved. If you hadn't been so frigging nosey and taken pictures of them…." He told her.

"The man that came to your house Friday morning said he actually talked to you one night when you were out with another woman." Callen informed him.

Rick stood there staring at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what he's talking about. I'm past the fact that you've been out screwing around. When Callen and Sam talked with him, he said he'd been watching us since we went to Kathy's the morning Annie told us that Kevin died." Amy told him wishing she still had the morphine drip.

"Yeah, I've been out with a lot of women and talked to a lot of people. I don't remember anyone specific. Still Amy if you hadn't taken those pictures you wouldn't have put the kids in danger." He told her resting himself on the foot of her bed.

"You're more the reason he came after Amy and the kids than she is, Rick." Sam told him.

"You know what; you two can just fuck off. Why are you still here anyway?" he said pushing off the bed, spinning around to face Sam and Callen.

Amy cringed in pain as the bed shook. Callen immediately asked if she was okay. Rick pushed him back as he started to walk to Amy's side. "What do you think you're doing? Stay away from my wife."

Callen grabbed his hand, squeezing and twisting it. "Then treat her like that and if you ever lay a hand on me again, I'll break it."

"G, that's enough." Sam said, snapping him back to the here and now.

Rick looked at Sam. "What the hell are you, his keeper?"

Sam sashayed up to Rick and told him in a very authoritative voice. "No, I'm his partner. If anyone's going to hurt you, it's going to be me."

"You wouldn't dare," Rick said inches from Sam's face. "I don't care how big you are. I'll take you down."

Suddenly Sam grabbed him by the shirt and roughly shoved him against the wall. Rick's head hit the wall with a loud thud. Amy tried her hardest not to laugh. Callen had to look away because he was about to laugh too.

"Look here you little bitch. You have no idea who I am and what I was before I joined NCIS. I can think of thousands of ways to kill you. Don't tempt me. I don't give a shit if you are a Staff Sergeant in the Marines. I will always out-rank you."

"Get the fuck off me." Rick spat pushing Sam off of him. "Fuck all three of you. This shit isn't over."

"I think it's time you left." Callen told him pushing him towards the door. "Amy doesn't need this right now."

Instead of going left out the door, he went right and tossed the flowers Kristy picked on the floor. "I'm taking the kids with me. When are you supposed to be released?"

Amy was in tears. "Those were from Kristy."

Rick just shrugged it off. "I asked you a question Amy. When are they releasing you?"

"Sometime tomorrow." Callen told him.

Three nurses ran to the room. They saw shards of the red vase clear into the hallway. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"I was just leaving." Rick said and walked out.

"Mrs. Russell, are you alright? Are these men bothering you?" a short Hispanic woman asked.

"It wasn't them, it was my husband." She told them doubled over in pain.

"I can leave word at the nurses' station that he's not allowed back in here if you want?" the nurse asked stepping over the flowers, water and broken glass.

"Don't worry; I don't think he'll be coming back." Amy told her, the pain waning.

"Are you okay with Rick taking the kids?" Sam asked with his phone to his ear.

"We can't stop him. They're his kids." She told him.

He stepped out of the room and let Michelle know what had happened and that Rick was on his way down to get the kids.

"Sir, can I ask you to step out for a moment while I check Mrs. Russell's stitches?" the nurse asked.

Callen nodded and smiled at Amy. "I'll be right outside."

Amy nodded and allowed the nurse to lay her back and lift her gown. "I'm sorry about the broken glass and the noise."

"Honey, don't worry about it. I think I might have another vase in one of the storage closets. Do you want me to find it for you?" she asked pulling the tape back on the gauze pad covering her incision.

"Yes, please. My daughter picked those flowers out. She's going to be devastated when she finds out what her father did." Amy said wincing through the pain as the nurse gently checked her wound.

"Is your husband physically abusive?" she asked looking up at Amy.

"No, he's never put a hand on me in that way. He's just angry that his command was contacted when we couldn't get in touch with him last night." She said.

"I'm just checking. Alright, you pulled a couple stitches. They're bleeding a little bit. I'll have the doctor come in and check them to make sure. Let me get housekeeping up here to get this broken glass picked up. We may have to wheel you out in the hall, are you going to mind?" she asked going over to a drawer for a fresh gauze pad and more tape.

"No, that's fine. Again, I'm so sorry for the mess." Amy sighed, trying not to cry again.

"Like I said, don't worry about it. We were all getting bored out there anyway. We needed a little excitement." She smiled warmly. "Okay, good as new. If you need anything, my name is Connie. Oh, by the way, the shorter guy that was in here. Is he single, he's hot?"

Amy laughed and quickly regretted it. "Yeah, he's kind of single. I know he's talking to someone."

"Damn. The good ones are always taken." She laughed and walked out the door, looked at Sam and Callen and told them. "You can go back in now."

"Are you okay?" Callen asked walking to Amy's bedside.

"Yeah, just pulled the stitches a little, they're bleeding, but not badly. I'm sorry about Rick." She said trying to get comfortable again.

"Don't worry about it." Sam answered first.

"I didn't think his visit would go well." Callen admitted.

Connie returned with another nurse. They unlocked the brakes on the bed and moved her out into the hall as the custodian went into her room to clean up. Once they had her situated out of the way of traffic, Connie ran back to the desk to get the vase. She held it up for Amy to see as she walked past to get the flowers.

Rick tried to calm himself the best he could as he rode the elevator down to the cafeteria. He couldn't believe Sam manhandled him like that. But he had a plan. Neither Sam nor Callen would ever come near Amy or the kids again, if he had anything to do with it. He found Michelle and the four kids sitting at a table by the windows. The kids each had a plate with a burger and fries in front of them, with a jug of chocolate milk on the side. Michelle was watching for him, hoping he didn't cause a scene like he had upstairs.

Jenny was the first of the kids to see him walking up. Rick was all smiles. Michelle wanted to hit him on site. He grabbed a chair from an empty table and sat at the other end of the table, next to Jenny. He told them that they were going to head home after they were done eating. None of the kids took the news well. They whined and complained that they'd just gotten there and wanted to spend more time with Amy. Rick took a deep breath and told them they'd go say goodbye before they left.

Michelle asked him if he was going to need Jenny's car seat and he nodded that he would. Sam had the key and she worried about another confrontation. She decided that she'd get the keys from Sam and walk out to the van with him. When the kids had eaten and drank their fill, they cleared the table and walked to the elevator. Jenny asked to be carried, but Rick refused. Michelle gave him a dirty look behind his back. She quickly texted Sam to warn him that they were on their way up.

Amy felt like taking a walk, so she flagged Connie down. Connie went to the linen closet and grabbed a robe and a pair of socks. When she returned, she helped Amy swing her legs over the bed and put the socks on her frigidly cold feet. Then Callen and Connie helped Amy ease off the bed and helped her put the robe on. She was warned not to move too fast and to stop is she was in too much pain. With Sam on one side and Callen on the other, they walked past the nurses' station and headed towards a large sitting room at the end of the hall. Amy was leaning into Callen for support. Pain ripped through her abdomen with every step she took. Callen and Sam were nice enough to stop every few feet to allow Amy to rest.

Rick, Michelle and the kids stepped off the elevator and looked towards Amy's room. Jenny went running down the hall and stopped in the doorway when she saw the man sweeping up the broken glass. She turned around with a panicked look on her face. Then saw Amy, Callen and Sam at the end of the hall. Michelle looked behind them and immediately walked to Sam. Sam saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and unclipped the keys from his belt loop, holding them out for her.

Rick saw Amy in Callen's arms and tasted blood. Jenny ran to them but Callen stopped her before she ran into Amy. Rick balled his fists when Callen picked her up. He told Kristy and Ricky to go say goodbye to their mother while he waited at the elevator.

Amy leaned against the wall and gave the kids hugs and kisses. Jenny started to cry when Callen put her down and told her to go back to Rick. Ricky and Kristy clearly didn't want to go with Rick either, but Callen was helpless. It broke his heart so see them crying the way they were. He looked at Amy who was crying too. He wanted so much to wipe away the tears and hold her, but refused while Rick stood there glaring at them. Michelle walked back to Rick and disappeared into the elevator. Amy, Callen and Sam resumed their trek to the sitting room.

When Michelle and their daughter returned fifteen minutes later, Michelle told them that Rick was not happy that they brought Amy's van to the hospital. The group walked back to Amy's room and got her back into bed. A few minutes later, the three said their goodbyes.

Amy let out a ragged breath and looked at Callen. "You look tired." She told him.

"I'm fine. How are you doing?" he asked leaning over the railing.

"Tired, sore, aggravated." She looked at the flowers Kristy gave her and shook her head. "That was such a pretty vase. I can't believe he did that."

"I'm sorry. I'm glad it was just the vase." He told her brushing her hair off her face.

"I'm not looking forward to going home tomorrow." She told him looking into his blue eyes.

"I need to call Hetty, see if I can have tomorrow off." He told her.

"I'll be fine, you should just go home tonight." She smiled the most genuine fake smile she could.

"No, Awan knows you're here. Even though he's got guards watching him, I don't want to risk it." He told her.

"I thought they would've taken him away by now." She told him trying to move over so he could sit next to her.

"Why don't you try to get some sleep." He told her putting the rail down, and then sitting next to her.

"Mmm," she moaned as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. Within minutes, her eyes were closed and she was asleep. A few minutes later, Callen was asleep too.

Callen woke with a start, disoriented. He looked around the room he felt Amy next to him on the bed and remembered the events of the last twelve hours. Callen looked at his watch and saw that it was almost three in the afternoon. Amy took a deep breath and looked over at him. He leaned over and kissed her temple.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Good, how about you? I woke up about an hour ago and saw you were asleep." She smiled bringing her hand up to touch his face.

There was a knock at the door. Callen moved his arm and stood. Dr. Burke walked in with a smile. "Well, I heard you guys had some excitement up here."

Amy rolled her eyes and gave a light laugh. "If you want to call it that."

"Let's check out your incision, Connie said you pulled a few stitches." He said lifting Amy's gown.

"Do you need me to step out?" Callen asked walking towards the door.

"No, no you're fine." He said waving at Callen to stay.

Callen stood at the end of the bed watching the doctor as he peeled the gauze pad back. His eyes drifted higher and he caught a glimpse of the bottom of her breast. His eyes met Amy's and he gave her a lusty smile. Amy smiled and shook her head.

"Yeah, you pulled more than just a few, but it looks like they're going to be okay. Are you going to be okay leaving the bandage off for a while? The incision site is weeping a little." He said looking up at Amy.

"No, that's fine." She said.

"The doctor smiled and leaned on the edge of the bed. I'm not going to think about sending you home until tomorrow night. Connie said you were in a great deal of pain when you went for a walk."

"I'm thinking it was a little too soon for a stroll." Amy smiled.

"Especially after your husband's visit. I'm also concerned about sending you home to him. Is there any place else you can go instead of home?" he asked.

"She and the children can come stay with me." A voice came from the door, Hetty's.

"Ma'am, who might you be?" The doctor said towering at least three feet over her.

"Henrietta Lange. I'm a close friend of Mrs. Russell's and Special Agent Callen's." she said shaking this hand.

"Hello Hetty, good to see you." Amy said.

"How are you doing, dear? Sam called and told me about Richard's visit. I have to agree with the doctor. I don't think you should go home as long as he's there." She said standing next to Callen.

"If I don't go home, I think it's just going to make the situation worse." Amy told them.

"Ultimately, it's up to you, Mrs. Russell. I have to advise you against it." Dr. Burke said.

"I don't know, we'll see when you discharge me." Amy said.

"Alright Mrs. Russell. I'm off here in a little while, I'll be back in tomorrow afternoon. Dr. Smith will be in later to introduce himself and check on those stitches." He said shaking Amy's hand, then Callen's and finally Hetty's.

"I'm glad you're here, Hetty. Agent Wrath was here this morning, we stopped by Awan's room and somehow he found out that Amy's here. I'm concerned that he might try something." He said.

Hetty stopped him. "Yes Mr. Callen, you can stay with Amy until she's discharged. I would like an agent posted at the door as well."

"Wrath already offered one of his agents." He told her.

"Well, it looks like you're loved." Hetty said looking at the flowers on the windowsill and the balloons in the corner.

"Sam and Michelle took the kids out to get them." She smiled. Amy looked down the hall and saw Kensi and Deeks walking towards her room with more flowers. "Kensi and Marty just got off the elevator."

Hetty peeked around the curtain and smiled as they walked in the room. "Hello Mr. Deeks, Ms. Blye."

"Hetty, we didn't expect to see you here." Kensi said walking to Amy, giving her a hug.

"Thank you Kensi, you didn't have to bring anything." Amy smiled.

"I wanted to. I bought a bottle of wine too, but I don't think you're ready for that yet." She laughed.

"Nope, in a couple weeks, though. Hi Marty, you know I don't bite. You don't have to stay away from me like that."

"I just, you know we don't know each other very well and I don't want to piss off Callen." He laughed and tapped Callen in the stomach.

"Just go give her a hug or something. Damn Deeks." Callen said pushing him towards the bed.

The four talked for an hour before Hetty excused herself. Callen had gone out and asked for two more chairs so everyone could sit down. By five thirty, Connie was bringing Amy's dinner tray in.

"Good Lord, these men that come see you. They just keep getting cuter and cuter. I think I'm going to bring my dinner in here just to enjoy the eye candy." She laughed giving Deeks the once over.

"Connie, I can introduce you to him if you like. You might be able to actually touch him…" Amy joked.

Connie turned around and gave Amy a sly smile. "I like how you think."

"Connie, this is Officer Marty Deeks and his partner Special Agent Blye."

Deeks stood and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you nurse Connie."

"Damn. I'm so jealous. Mrs. Russell." She laughed as she shook Deeks' hand. "Let me get back to work. I'll be back later."

Deeks watch her walk out of the room, enjoying the sway of her hips and her tight ass. Kensi smacked him in the back of the head.

"What? She's cute." He said sitting back down.


	11. Chapter 11

Hetty pulled her Jag to the curb just short of the base of the driveway and could hear Rick yelling at the kids. She got out of the car trying to calm her anger and slammed the car door. Quickly she patted the vehicle in apology. Slowly, she walked to the door and waited for the bellowing to stop before ringing the doorbell. Hetty heard the children yelling as they ran towards the door like she had Saturday afternoon. Jenny opened the door and smiled up at her. Hetty could tell that the child had been crying, her dirty face streaked with tear.

"Damn it Jenny, I told you I would get the door." Rick said walking up behind her.

"But it's Grandma Hetty." She said looking up at her father with her angelic face.

Rick grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away from the door, leaving her crying and holding her arm. "Stop acting like a baby. I didn't hurt you." He said before looking at Hetty. "What do you want?"

"I'm a friend of Amy's I just wanted to make the sure you and the children were alright." She told him fighting the urge to open the door and lay him out. Suddenly, she was thankful she was not packing her weapon, but regretful at the same time.

"We're fine. Why, did Amy send you over here?" he asked. Kristy and Ricky walked to the door; Rick was trying to block them from view.

"Hello Kristy, Ricky how are you?" She asked with total disregard for Rick.

Ricky pulled the door from Rick's grip and walked forward. "I'm okay." He told her. Clearly he had been crying as well.

She looked to Kristy whose eyes were red and swollen. "Kristy dear, are you alright?"

Kristy looked at her father and then back at Hetty. "I'm fine."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" she asked waiting to be invited in.

"No, I was just about to start. I've been upstairs looking for something." Rick told Hetty.

"Well, how about I start dinner for the children while you finish looking for whatever it is you're looking for." She said opening the door and walking in.

Rick was shocked at the little woman's gall. "If you insist." He said walking through the living room and disappearing up the stairs.

"What was your father yelling about? Jenny, let me see your arm." She said looking the child over for signs of redness or bruising. There was none.

"We made the mistake of telling Daddy about the white envelope you brought over for our Mom yesterday. He's upstairs looking for the key to the lockbox because that's where Mommy put's all of her important papers." Kristy said crying again.

"Oh Kristy, it's alright." Hetty said bringing her hands up to cup her face. "It's nothing to get emotional over."

"But Daddy's really mad." Ricky added.

"Ricky, you didn't tell your father about our conversation yesterday when I told you Mr. Callen worked for me, did you?" she asked with a hand on his shoulder.

He smiled ear-to-ear and shook his head. "No I didn't and I'm not going to. Daddy said he's going to get a restraining order against Callen and Sam because of something that happened at the hospital." Ricky told her cowering a little.

"Very good Ricky." She said patting his back. "Your father is getting a restraining order?"

"Yes, he said he didn't want them around us anymore. He's planning on going to the court house in Vista tomorrow while we're at school." Ricky told her tears in his eyes again.

"Oh, I seriously doubt he'll get it without making up a story. What happened at the hospital isn't bad enough. Don't worry. Callen will be back." She reassured them all.

"I hope so. I really want to see Callen again." Ricky sobbed quietly.

"Now, do you know what you mother did with the white envelope?" she asked walking them into the kitchen.

"No, Mommy put it somewhere before we came back in from playing." Kristy told her.

"Alright, let's not worry about it right now. What would you like for dinner?" She asked opening the refrigerator.

"We've got some pizzas in the outside freezer." Kristy told her and led Hetty into the garage. Sitting on a shelf near the hot water heater, Hetty spotted a white envelope and smiled.

Kristy opened the freezer and grabbed two pizzas. "Are two going to be enough for the four of you?" she asked and Kristy grabbed a third.

They walked back into the house and Kristy pulled the baking sheets from the cabinet and set them on the stove. Hetty reached to the back of the stove and set the temperature. Everyone heard Rick stomping down the stairs. He came into the kitchen and saw the pizza boxes.

"I hope pizza is alright." She said to him as he walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer.

"That's fine. Do you want one?" he asked Hetty.

"Oh no, I don't drink beer. I'm more of a Scotch woman." She smiled.

Rick opened the freezer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "I don't have Scotch, but I've got this, Amy's southern comfort and a bottle of honey whiskey."

"Oh no, I'm fine thank you though. Well, since you're done looking for whatever it was, I'm going to head home. I'll probably be back tomorrow afternoon; hopefully Amy will be home by then." She said and walked out of the house closing the door behind her.

Callen walked Kensi and Deeks to the door and told them about Awan. Both were visibly concerned and offered to stay with them, but he told them Wrath was going to provide them an agent. He also told them that he wasn't going to be at work in the morning so he could stay with Amy. They said they would call him in the morning to check in and to call if he needed them. He walked back into the room and smiled at Amy. She was sitting waiting for him to join her for dinner.

"I know you haven't eaten anything since this morning, so we're going to share this." She told him smiling.

"I'll eat what you don't want. You need to eat to get your strength back." He said leaning down to kiss her, but Amy stopped him.

"You pull anything like you did this morning and I'll kick your ass when I'm better." She laughed.

"Really, I'd like to see you try." He laughed and held her face, kissing her. He lightly placed his hand on her stomach.

"Just wait, I know more than you think I do." She said taking the lid off the plate. Amy smiled when she saw pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans. "That smells so good."

"It does." He said taking a green bean.

When Amy had eaten her fill, she turned the plate over to Callen. He finished off the plate and looked at her as he picked it up and acted like he was going to lick it clean. She laughed and shook her head. "You really are a dork, aren't you?"

"You know, I usually don't act like this." He told her. "Usually I'm serious and straight-laced."

"I like this side of you. I've seen you serious. You're kind of sexy when you're serious." She smiled and lifted her arm to wrap it around him but it hurt too much.

Connie knocked as she came back into the room and caught Callen on the bed next to Amy. She gave them a quick smiled and took the tray, handing it to another nurse that followed her in. "Alright, Mrs. Russell, I'm going to be off in an hour, so I'm bring my replacement around to introduce her. This is Samantha."

The younger blonde woman gave brief wave before she walked out of the room. When she returned she was all smiles. "How are you feeling tonight?"

"Not bad. Getting better." Amy told her.

"Dr. Burke said he left the bandage off of your incision, do you mind if I take a look at it?" Connie asked grabbing a pair of sterile gloves.

Callen started to get off the bed, but Connie stopped him. "Have you seen the incision yet?"

"Not really, I took a look when Dr. Burke checked it, but I was at the foot of the bed." He told her as he watched her pull Amy's gown up.

"It actually looks pretty good. The weeping's stopped. Do you want to put a bandage back on it or can you go without it for the night?" Connie asked with Samantha looking over her shoulder.

"Wow that looks really good. Do you usually heal that fast?" Samantha asked.

Amy looked down and smiled. "No, not that I know of."

Callen looked at Amy before he reached over to touch the area around the incision.

"I wouldn't Mr. Callen, especially if your hands aren't clean." Connie told him.

Callen pulled his hand back and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright. So do you want it covered?" Connie asked Amy, but looking at Callen.

"Yeah, I think we should put a bandage back on it for the night. I move around a lot in my sleep, I don't want to pull any of the stitches anymore than I already have." She said.

Samantha got the bandage and tape, handing it to Connie. Callen stood to give them more room to work. He remembered the last time the doctor examined Amy the glimpse of the bottom of Amy's left breast and wondered if it was visible again and moved to the foot of the bed. He was still standing at the foot of the bed when Connie and Samantha left.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, I was just remembering something." He told her and smiled.

"I can't tell if you're thinking of something good or bad." She told him.

His expression changed and Amy got the idea. "Just something I saw a little bit of when Dr. Burke was looking at your incision."

"Ah." She said turning red.

"Why are you turning red?" he asked sitting facing her on the bed.

"I didn't know the gown was pulled up that high. How much of a peep show did you get?" she laughed.

"Enough to um, get the mind wandering." He told her brushing his fingers up her arm.

"Wandering, hmm?" She laughed awkwardly.

He said kissing her collarbone.

"Mm, you're lucky I'm in pain." She whispered.

Callen smiled and kissed her. Ever so gently he slipped his hand under her gown, careful to avoid the wound. Lightly he swept his thumb across the bottom of her breast. Amy cleared her throat and smiled.

"Does this bother you?" he asked.

Callen moved closer to her and kissed her deeply. His thumb brushed her nipple, sending erotic sensations flowing through her body. He heard her whimper and thought he hurt her, but she pulled his mouth back to hers. Callen let out a low growl.

There was a knock at the door. Amy threw her head back and shook her head. "These people have the absolute worst timing."

Callen carefully moved his hand and went to the chair. Amy was smiling at him. "Come in." he called.

It was Wrath. "Callen, I wanted to let you know that I'm going to take the watch tonight. You two need anything before I take my post?"

Amy looked at Callen and shook her head. "No, I think we're okay. Thanks for asking."

"Not a problem. Let me know if you need anything." He said and closed the door.

"Let's just watch some TV." Callen suggested, knowing this was neither the time nor the place for this.

"I think you're right." Amy said handing him the remote.

"Do you watch anything particular on Sunday nights?" he asked.

"There are a few things Rick watches, but you can watch whatever you want." She smiled as he sat next to her again.

"Alright." He told her. "That was kind of fun, like being back in high school."

"It is isn't it? Lord, we're pathetic." She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder.

Within an hour, Amy was dozing off, so Callen slipped off the bed and laid her bed back a little more then sat in the recliner. He finished the show he was watching, turned off the TV and the lights. No sooner had he fallen asleep and Samantha was in the room giving Amy her pain medication. It seemed that someone was coming in every two hours either to check on Amy or administer some type of medication.

He was in deep sleep when he woke to a silhouette standing over the head of the bed with a pillow ready to smother Amy. Callen shot out of the chair and grabbed him, throwing him against the wall. Amy woke to the noise and turned on the light, then yelled for Agent Wrath. She also pressed the nurse call button on the railing of the bed. It seemed like minutes passed before someone finally came in. Callen had the man face down on the floor sitting on his back. They were still struggling when Samantha threw the door open.

"Call PMO now," she yelled out into the hall. She looked at Amy to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"I'm fine; I woke up to them fighting." Amy told her over the crashes, bangs and grunts.

Callen rolled the guy over and punched him in the face. He was a young fresh-faced kid in scrubs, no older than twenty, twenty-five. The kid lay lifeless under Callen. A minute later, an MP walked in. Callen was trying to catch his breath to tell them what happened. As he got off the kid, the MP slapped a set of cuffs on him and grabbed a smelling salt off of the paper towel dispenser. He broke it and waved it in front of the kid's nose. He woke almost immediately and began thrashing around on the floor. Callen and the MP picked him up and sat him in the chair.

"What the hell did you think you were going to do?" Callen asked him.

"Man, some patient on three west offered me a thousand dollars if I knocked off that bitch." He said motioning towards Amy.

"Was there a man sitting outside the door when you came in?" he asked, wondering where the hell Agent Wrath was.

"No man, the guy said he'd take care of him. He never said anything about there being anyone in here with her." He said blood trickling from his nose and onto the knee of his turquoise scrubs.

"Get someone up to room three sixteen. Make sure the patient is still in the room and page Special Agent Wrath over the hospital's PA system.

"Where do you work? I've seen you around the hospital before." Samantha asked.

"Yeah, I delivered the dinner cart tonight." He said looking up at her.

"Man, I ought to kick your ass right here, right now you twiggy little bitch." She spat at him.

"Samantha, it's alright, we've got him." Callen told her and turned back to the kid, he told him. "You do understand that you're being arrested for attempted murder, right?"

The kid nodded, "Yeah, I know."

Another nurse came into the room and told them that the patient in question was in his room and according to the charge nurse he hadn't left his room since he was brought in yesterday. Callen heard the announcement over the loud speaker for Agent Wrath. He hoped where ever he was, that he was okay. Another MP came to the door and asked to speak with Callen and the other officer.

Once the three were outside Amy's room, the officer began. "Sir, we found your Agent Wrath in one of the stairwells, he's been stabbed multiple times. They're running him to the ER right now. He's lost a lot of blood and we have no idea how long he's been injured."

Callen was frustrated. He ran his hand through his hair and turned his back on the MPs. Callen pulled out his phone and called Hetty. She told him that she would call Kensi, Deeks and Sam and have them meet him there. She asked if Amy was alright and Callen assured her she was not hurt.

He turned back to the MPs and apologized. "I need someone outside this door until the rest of my team arrives. Keep everyone other than those attending to Agent Wrath out of the stairwell. If you can review the surveillance footage for this floor, the third floor and the entrances, it would be helpful."

"Do you want us to start processing the scene in the stairwell?" the taller of the two men asked.

"If you could, that would be helpful too." He said shaking their hands.

One officer stepped away and spoke into his radio. When the response came back he had to turn down the volume. After a few more exchanges of information, he walked back to Callen and the other officer and told them there were MPs starting on the scene. Callen looked at their names and the chevrons on their lapel.

"Thank you Petty Officer Winston. Chief Petty Officer Roberts."

"We're both going to be standing watch at her door, Agent Callen." CPO Roberts announced.

"Thank you," Callen said again and went back in to check on Amy and the kid who tried to smother her.

Samantha stood there with her arms crossed daring the kid to so much as sneeze or she'd beat his head in. Callen came up behind her and put his arm on her shoulder. She relaxed and began laughing, commenting on how much fun it was staring him down. Two more Petty Officers walked in and took the kids down to their office for processing and transfer to the brig.

It was took Sam less than an hour to get to the base. As he stepped off the elevator and walked towards Amy's room, the two MPs dressed in their blue digital cammies had their hands on their weapons. He moved his hand to his back pocket to remove his credentials and noticed both had unsnapped their holsters. Callen appeared in the doorway and told them he was one of his agents. The men relaxed and smiled at Sam as he showed them his shield. They apologized for taking the stance they had towards him, but Sam understood why and appreciated their efforts.

Sam followed Callen into Amy's room and saw that she was sleeping. They talked quietly until Kensi and Deeks arrived. Again, Kensi brought coffee for their teammates. Callen once again was very appreciative. He was weary and worn out. He hadn't been this tired in a long time. Callen was used to running on very little sleep; it seemed with Amy in his life, the lack of sleep was taxing on his system.

Amy woke with a start when Deeks accidentally kicked the rolling table next to her bed. She wasn't at all surprised to find the rest of Callen's team there. In fact, it was comforting. Over the last few years, Amy had ended several friendships and isolated herself, not letting many truly know her. However, these four she trusted enough to open herself to. A short red-headed pixy-looking woman stepped off the elevator with a black lap top bag. She already had her credentials in her hand and had them open as she walked towards Amy's room.

"Callen, I thought you only had four members to your team." Amy said looking out the door.

Kensi looked out the door and saw Nell walking towards them, then looked back at Callen. "What's Nell doing here?"

"Hetty didn't say anything about sending Nell or Eric." He told them walking to the door. Like a ray of sunshine, Nell swept into the room.

"Amy, this is Nell Jones. She is Hetty's right-hand woman and one of our technical analysts." Callen said as Nell sat her bag on the rolling table.

Nell moved the table and extended her hand towards Amy. "Hi Amy, nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Amy said shaking her hand.

"I'm sorry Nell, I would've gotten you some coffee too had I known you were coming." Kensi told her.

"Don't worry about it, Eric said he's going to bring some coffee." She smiled at Kensi.

"Eric's coming too?" Callen asked.

"Yup, Hetty called and said she wanted Eric and I here to help with the surveillance footage. Said it'd be best if we were here instead of at the mission." She said standing casually.

They heard Eric's voice coming up the hall. Nell looked out the door and saw him walking towards them with his bag on his shoulder and a huge box of coffee from Starbucks in each hand. She walked to the door and told the MPs that he was part of the team as well, then took one of the coffees from him.

"I only wanted a cup of coffee." She laughed setting it on the counter.

"Hello everyone. I know I figured I'd bring some for everyone." He said smiling at everyone.

"Callen, can I have some of your coffee?" Amy asked.

"Are you allowed to have coffee yet?" he asked holding his cup out of her reach, teasing her with it.

"Damn it, I'll kick your ass if you don't let me have at least a sip. I haven't had coffee since Saturday morning." She said reaching for the cup.

"G, give the woman some coffee and stop tormenting her." Sam said laughing.

"It's so much fun though. Amy, that's the second time you've threatened to kick my ass." He smiled handing her the cup.

She took his coffee and took three huge gulps then handing it back to him half-empty. "Thank you. I needed that."

"So what did you do last night that Amy threatened to kick your ass?" Sam laughed.

"She told me she'd kick my ass if I pulled anything stupid during dinner like I did at breakfast." Callen told them laughing.

Kensi, Deeks, Eric and Nell stood confused. Amy explained what happened with the orange juice the previous morning. Kensi jokingly punched Callen in the arm while laughing.

"Alright guys, the MPs have already started processing the scene. Kensi, Deeks head to the stairwell and see what they've found so far and finish up there. Nell, Eric go down to the camera room and do what you two do best. Sam and I are going to go down to the ER to check on Wrath, and then we're going to pay Awan a visit. Amy, Petty Officer Winston and Chief Petty Officer Roberts are going to stay here with you. I'll be back up in a little while to check on you." He said, walking over to her bedside and kissed her without thinking.

He saw the look on Amy's face and suddenly realized what he did. He dropped his head and shook it, whispering that he was sorry.

Amy nodded and looked at the five faces staring back at them. She patted his face and smiled before he turned around. He looked from one face to the other around the room. They all smiled understandingly. He apologized to them and walked out of the room with Sam following close behind. Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric stood there a few more minutes staring at Amy.

"I wish he hadn't done that." Amy said embarrassed.

"No, it's fine. It's good to see him like that. In fact, we've never seen him like that." Kensi said

"Yeah, well. Please don't make a big thing of it." She asked them.

"We won't." Nell said with a huge smile.

They were surprised and pleased to see their team leader in that fashion. Kensi and Deeks knew there was an interest, but didn't know anything had actually started between them. Kensi remembered the kiss she and Deeks shared when they were working undercover as a married couple and smiled. Eric and Nell looked at each other thinking of the kiss they shared Christmas Eve under the mistletoe. Neither admitted that it was anything more than Nell's attempt to get Eric to dress as an elf for Toys for Tots, but they both knew it was. They all snapped into action and quickly left the room, leaving Amy to feel insecure about her behavior with Callen.

Nell and Eric talked on their way down in the elevator. "I can't believe he did that in front of all of us."

"Do you think Hetty knows?" Eric asked.

"I don't know. Let's just take the stance that whatever happens in the hospital stays in the hospital." She told him.

"Yeah, it's probably for the best. I wouldn't want Amy's husband to find out. Did Hetty tell you what happened yesterday when he came to see her?" Eric said.

"Yes, I can't believe he thought he could stand up to Sam like that. I don't care who you are, you don't mess with Sam." She laughed.

"I know. I don't know who scares me more sometimes. Hetty or Sam, both are pretty darn intimidating." He said smiling down at his partner.

"For you, Hetty. Sam's just a big teddy bear. I don't think he'd ever hurt you." She said patting his chest.

Callen and Sam walked up to the reception desk for the ER and showed the man their credentials. He immediately stood and asked them to wait a minute while he got one of the doctors. When he returned, he instructed them to go to the double doors around the corner and someone would be there to take them back to see Agent Wrath. They did as they were told and found Janet waiting for them. Callen greeted her and introduced Sam. She led them to an actual room and knocked before she opened it.

Wrath lay on the bed with an IV in his hand and four large blood stained blocks of gauze taped to his chest and abdomen. There was another nurse at this bedside working with the automatic IV drip machine. Wrath looked at them and gave them a weak smile. The nurse at the IV turned around and smiled, then looked to Janet and made a comment about Special Agent Sexy. Janet nodded and the two left the room giggling like school girls. Callen shook his head and turned his attention to Wrath.

"You're pretty popular around here, Special Agent Sexy." Sam laughed.

Callen shot him a look that told him to stop and looked back at Wrath. Wrath too was smiling, bigger than he was when they walked in.

"You're the only thing they've been talking about since I came in here. Janet said she hoped you'd come back down." He laughed and grabbed for his chest.

"What the hell happened?" Callen asked, concerned for his colleague.

"I got a call at about three forty-five from one of my agents guarding Awan. I told him I'd meet him in the stairwell. When I got down there it was some other guy. I'd never seen him before and he definitely wasn't an agent. He pulled out a four inch knife and went to town." He told Callen and Sam.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Callen asked.

"I went in and you were asleep. I knew you hadn't gotten much sleep since you'd gotten here yesterday and told a nurse that I'd be right back." He said.

"What did she look like?" Sam asked.

"It was a guy. He was in scrubs and I'd seen him in with Awan. Now that I think of it, he was the kid that delivered the food to the ward. Shit, how could I have been so stupid?" he said.

"Don't worry about it. What did your agent want to talk to you about?" Sam asked leaning against a low chest of drawers.

"He said he overheard Awan telling some kid; this kid I guess I told I was leaving; that he'd pay him a thousand dollars to kill Mrs. Russell. I wasn't thinking about anything but keeping her safe. I'm sorry for my lapse of judgment. I should've woken you up. I guess I'm getting a little soft in my old age." He said.

Callen looked him over and estimated, what with the graying hair, deep set creases and wrinkles that he was pushing fifty, maybe a few years older. "It's alright; the kid didn't get too far. I woke up in enough time to stop him from hurting Amy."

"Good, she seems like a nice girl." He told Callen.

"Yes, she is and she's a good friend of ours." Sam said looking at Callen.

"I'll have your sketch artist come by and see if the two of you can't come up with a good rendering of the guy that stabbed you. Get some rest; we're going up to have a talk with Awan." Callen said shaking Wrath's hand before leaving.

Callen found Janet and the other nurse standing at the corner of the nurses' station waiting for them to come out. The women both smiled and walked towards them. "Janet, if anything changes with Agent Wrath's condition or he's moved to a room, please have me paged." He said before walking towards the double doors.

"Not a problem." She called after them.

As they walked out, they heard a rush of footsteps and giggles. Sam turned around to see all of the female staff; nurses and doctors watching them leave. He shook his head and walked out of the ER.

Awan appeared to be asleep when they walked into the room. Callen flipped the light switch and the fluorescent light filled the room. Awan covered his eyes and glared at whoever it was. When he realized it was Callen and Sam he smiled. Sam stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. Callen rested his arms on the table and just stared at him for a few minutes.

Finally, Awan spoke. "So Agent Callen, how is your girlfriend feeling?"

"Just fine no thanks to you and I thought you should know that Agent Wrath is patched up and resting in the ER." Callen told him with a smirk.

"You're just digging yourself a deeper hole." Sam said. "I think you should stop before its deep enough to throw your body into."

"Agent Hanna, such violent tendencies, first Staff Sergeant Russell and now me, you really should think about anger management classes." He laughed.

Callen and Sam looked at one another wondering how Awan found out what had happened in Amy's room. "How did you hear about that?"

"I overheard Agent Wrath telling Agent McDonnell about it. Quite comical if you ask me, I doubt Staff Sergeant Russell could hurt a fly physically. Emotionally, I hear he's done a number on his wife and children." Awan said.

"You make one more attempt on Amy Russell's life and I'll kill you myself." Callen told him.

"Now Agent Callen, I think you're letting your feelings for the pathetic woman cloud your judgment. You really shouldn't become so attached to a woman like her. If her husband has found reasons to turn his back on her, I'm sure there's something wrong with her. You really should rethink your decision."

"I guarantee there's nothing wrong with her, the problem is her husband." Callen spat.

"He seemed perfectly normal to me when we spoke. He was with a very beautiful tall blonde. Look at his wife. She's really nothing to look at. I don't know what you find so attractive about her." Awan told him.

Callen was finding it harder and harder to contain his anger. "You're used to submissive women, not one with a mind of her own and remarkable intelligence."

"Touché, Agent Callen. You're correct; I'm used to the women in my country who bows to her husband's every whim. Frankly well educated women disgust me. That's part of what's wrong with your country, you allow your women too many freedoms." Awan said with a look of contempt.

Not able to take it anymore, Callen walked out. Sam warned Awan to stay away from Amy and followed Callen. There was silence between them as they walked to the elevator. Callen was fuming, he knew what Awan was saying wasn't true. His heart wouldn't let him do anything but defend her. Sam finally spoke to him when they stopped at the elevator and Callen punched the button.

"G, we both know what he said about Amy isn't true. Why are you letting it bother you so much?"

"I love her Sam. I want, no I have to defend her. With everything she's been through with Rick it's the least she deserves. I seriously doubt Rick would ever defend her the way he treats her." He told him lowering his voice.

"I know you do G. I agree with you completely. It's good to see you like this. A little scared by how vulnerable she makes you. It just shows us you're just as human as the rest of us." Sam told him with a hand on his shoulder.

Callen looked at him sharply. "I am just as human as the rest of you. I admit I've gotten a little reckless. Look what I did in her room; I kissed her in front of everyone."

"You're worried about her. We all understand that." Sam reassured him. "Michelle and I are glad you found someone. We hope once Amy gets a divorce you two can make this work."

Callen smiled a warm, genuine smile just thinking about he and Amy's future. "I do too. I can't wait until June."

"Is that when she's moving?" Sam asked stepping into the elevator after Callen.

"Yeah, I can't wait. You know her house isn't too far from mine. I'm thinking about eventually renting my house out."

"You're thinking about moving in with Amy and the kids?" Sam asked beaming at his partner's plans to finally settle down at the age of forty-three.

"I've been thinking about a lot more than moving in with them. Eventually, I'd like to ask her to marry me." He said looking at Sam. "I know, me getting married. I want everything with Amy. I've never been one to believe in fairytale endings, but I think Amy could be mine."

"You'll be a good husband and father." Sam said as they stepped off the elevator and walked to Amy's room. "Do you think you guys will try to have a baby?"

Callen smiled at the thought. "The way I look at it, if it happens, it happens. If not, I'm content to love Kristy, Ricky and Jenny as my own."

"The kids really think a lot of you. Kristy told Michelle and me about Friday night. She said you two looked at each other the way people do in the movies when they're in love. It really was endearing watching her talk about the two of you. Hetty said Ricky was upset when you left Saturday afternoon. Went in to Hetty and Amy crying because you left, he didn't understand why you left then instead of Sunday."

Callen's heart soared. "Really? That's pretty neat!"

When they walked into Amy's room she was talking with Agent Wrath and Janet. They all looked up and smiled. Janet excused herself and swatted Callen's butt as she walked out the door. He jumped about three feet in the air as a result. Embarrassed, he turned red and sat in the chair next to Amy's bed. Amy was laughing and reached over to pat Callen's knee. He noticed that she didn't wince in pain and knew she'd be going home later that day.

"Feeling better, I see." He said wanting to kiss her again.

"Yes, I'm ok as long as I don't try to twist around." She demonstrated and laughed as she grabbed her stomach. "Remind me not to show you next time."

Samantha walked in with Amy and Agent Wrath's breakfast trays. Connie pulled an extra table tray in from the hall and placed it in front of Wrath's wheelchair. Amy looked at Callen before she started eating the Belgian waffle, hash browns and sausage. Sam eyed the orange juice on their trays and burst into laughter. Amy immediately knew why he was laughing, so she tossed it to him. Callen shook his head and laughed too, then explained to Wrath what happened yesterday morning.

Nell and Eric sat in the small office watching the multiple screens. Occasionally they would rewind and playback something, but it was nothing of importance to their case. Then they saw him, he'd entered through the main hospital entrance and walked past the pharmacy and the pediatrics department, making a right just before the emergency room. He took the stairwell next to the elevators. They had a good shot of his face and froze the camera to take a screen shot. Unfortunately, there were no cameras in the stairwell, so they didn't actually have footage of the attack on Agent Wrath.

They then found the footage of Wrath on the phone, stepping into Amy's room, going to the nurses' station and then into the stairwell. Almost ten minutes after he left the floor, the kid in the scrubs walked to Amy's room, grabbing a pillow from one of the supply closets. He opened the door and disappeared into the darkened room. Five minutes later there was chaos as nurses ran from all directions to the room. The two MPs followed a few minutes later.

Eric suggested going back to the footage from Awan's floor to see if their suspect visited him earlier in the day. From a camera over the nurses' station, they saw the kid from Amy's floor talking with Awan as he brought the dinner cart to the ward. Nell rewound the footage and saw him in with Awan both at lunch and breakfast as well. Finally, they found the man who allegedly stabbed Wrath in Awan's room. He was dressed in a set of Marine Corps desert digital cammies. Unfortunately, it was going to take some time and a lot of enhancement to see the name printed on the name tapes and his rank.

Before heading back up to Amy's room, Eric loaded the picture of their suspect into the facial recognition program on his lap top and packed up. Nell loaded the footage files they needed onto a thumb drive and headed out the door. They ran into Kensi and Deeks on their way out. Kensi was on the phone when they stopped.

"Hey Callen, we were going to stop at the cafeteria to get breakfast, do you or Sam want anything?" she asked waving at them.

After taking their orders, the four walked to the cafeteria, ordered the food and then went up to Amy's room. They were surprised to find Wrath in the room with Sam and Callen. Kensi handed them their orders and leaned against the wall while she ate hers. No one spoke about their findings until they were all finished eating.

Rick was chomping at the bit for the older kids to leave for school so he and Jenny could head to work. He knew what waited for him and wanted to get it over with so he could go to the courthouse in Vista. At seven thirty-five when Kristy and Ricky walked out the door, he quickly packed Jenny breakfast, locked the dog in his crate and left. Kathy stopped him to ask how Amy was and he talked to her briefly while he got Jenny into her car seat. Kathy offered to watch Jenny while he was at work, but Jenny threw a fit, screaming that she wanted to go to work with Daddy.

First think in the door, the Warrant Officer called him into his office. Jenny sat at his desk coloring and eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The Warrant Officer closed the door as Rick stood at attention.

"Just sit down, Staff Sergeant." He said watching him sit in the chair on the other side of his desk. "I'd like you to explain to me what the hell you're doing. You were ordered to stop your adulterous behavior and I find out from your wife and Special Agent Callen that you're still talking to other women. I suspect, knowing your track record that you're not just talking to them. Have you been lying to your wife, telling her that you're coming in for PT when you're actually going to see a girlfriend?"

Rick sighed; there was no use in lying. He was in enough trouble already. "Yes sir, I have."

"Why? Your wife seems like a very nice woman, why would you do this to her? Don't you think you've put her through enough by fathering a child with another woman? You're killing her slowly, Staff Sergeant. Or do you just not give a shit anymore?"

"I can't tell you why I do it, I don't know." Rick told him.

"Are you still taking your anti-depressants and seeing Dr. Christian like you've been ordered?" he asked.

"I haven't been taking the medication regularly and I haven't seen the doctor in about a month."

"Why?" the Warrant Officer demanded.

"It's not easy for me to get out of the office, you have to admit Sir, and we've been busy." Rick told him.

"Yes, however, you were told that you would be allowed to go to your scheduled appointments. You told me that you were going to start going to group sessions and marriage counseling, have you done that?" the Warrant Officer asked already knowing the answer.

"No, I haven't." Rick answered truthfully.

"So basically, what you're telling me is that everything you promised to do back in September you haven't done." He said throwing the pencil in his hand on his desk.

"That's right, Sir."

"I can't let this go on anymore. I have to tell the command and have charges added. You neglected to check in with the First Sergeant like you were ordered to do. You disregarded the order to stop talking and meeting with other women. You also didn't pass word about what was going on at your house over the last week. Did you not think that we needed to know? We would've given you the time off so that you could've helped your wife and children feel safer. Special Agent Callen mentioned that you claimed to have duty last week. You know because of the MPO that you aren't allowed to stand duty. Your wife knows this, doesn't she?"

"Yes she does." Rick answered.

"When are you going to get it through your head that she's not stupid, in her statement for the initial investigation, she said that your behavior changed after your second deployment, she stayed with you? Obviously she loved you. I can tell you that your days with her are numbered. I'm going to let your wife explain that to you when she's recovered more."

Rick looked at him curiously, then realized. "The white envelope, damn it; I knew she had something to do with it. Sir, I was assaulted yesterday when I visited my wife at the hospital by both Agent Callen and Agent Hanna."

The Warrant Officer laughed. "Really? Go on."

"I feel there's something going on between my wife and Special Agent Callen. In the heat of the moment, I shook her hospital bed and it caused her pain. Callen tried to go to my wife and I stopped him. He then told me that if I ever put my hands on him again he would break them. All I did Sir was push him back and told him to leave her alone." Rick told him.

"I don't know what to tell you Staff Sergeant. When was the last time you showed your wife any attention or affection?" He told Rick.

"Then Sam or Agent Hanna shoved me up against the wall and threatened to kill me." Rick continued, ignoring the Warrant Officer's last question.

"I did some research on Special Agents Callen and Hanna. I would advise you to steer clear of Agent Hanna. He is a former Navy seal and an officer at that. He's not a loose cannon, but does have issues following orders." The Warrant Officer told him.

"I'd like to obtain a restraining order against the both of them. If they threatened me, I can only imagine what they'd do to my children."

The Warrant Officer laughed. "You're not serious? You can't get a restraining order for your wife and children based on threats directed at you. I feel Special Agents Hanna and Callen have only your wife's and children's best interests at heart. No judge is going to grant the restraining order, in fact I have a feeling you'll be laughed out of the court house. My advice to you, drop it. Forget it happened. Contact your lawyer and inform him that there will most likely be new charges added to the adultery charge. You can be sure that the CO is going to want to talk to you."

"I'm not going to drop it, Sir. I want them; Agent Callen in particular; to stay the hell away from my family." Rick insisted.

"What are you worried about Staff Sergeant, that your wife might find comfort in another man? That she might do the same thing to you that you've been doing to her all these years? It would serve you right. If you weren't happy with your marriage, you should've gotten a divorce, not have one affair after another. Hell, I hope she and Agent Callen do get together, live happily ever after and rub that shit in your face for the rest of your life. Now get the hell out of my office. Let me warn you, if I catch wind that you're still talking to and meeting other women, I'll personally see to it that your ass is kicked out of the Marine Corps. With the new charges added, I doubt the CO will reduce the Special Court Marshall to a General Court Marshall or an NJP. Get ready to kiss your ass goodbye. It's just too bad that your soon-to-be ex-wife and children are going to have to suffer without your retirement and benefits. I think I'll actually talk to the CO about giving it to them. Now go."

Rick walked out of the office and vowed that it wasn't over. He would find a way to keep Callen and Amy apart, even if it killed him. Jenny ran over to him and hugged his knees; he pushed her off and walked past. He fell into his chair and opened his desk drawer getting his lawyer's number. Within minutes, he had an appointment for an hour from then.

Nell, Eric, Kensi and Deeks were just wrapping up telling everyone what they found when Hetty walked into the room. She held a vase of flowers and a stack of files. After greeting everyone, she gave Amy a hug and set the glowers next to the ones Sam, Michelle and the kids brought yesterday. She noticed Agent Wrath and asked him how he was doing and thanked him for his help the last week. Hetty turned her attention towards the team and they quickly recapped everything they'd found.

Eric's lap top pinged and everyone's attention was on him. "We have a hit on the man who we think stabbed Agent Wrath. He's been identified as twenty-nine year old Gunnery Sergeant Collin Brass." He looked up from his lap top and around the room before he continued, "He was an instructor at SOI, looks like we missed him, somehow. He worked with Staff Sergeant Willis and Gunnery Sergeant Calke at the range on Oceanside. It say here that he was dishonorably discharged in mid-March for dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming a Marine. The exact charges aren't listed here in his file."

"Do you have a last known address, Mr. Beal?" Hetty asked trying to figure out whom to send. She wanted to allow Callen to remain with Amy since she had given him the day off to do so, but knew he wouldn't be able to resist this.

"Yes, we've got his previous address in base housing and an address in Encinitas. Send them to their phones?" He asked Hetty.

Hetty looked at Callen who was looking at Amy. "Mr. Callen, I gave you the day off to spend it with Amy. Do you want to join your team with this investigation or are you going to remain here?"

"Go Callen, I'll be fine. Petty Officer Watson and Chief Petty Officer Roberts are still here." Amy told him.

Callen sighed and sat forward putting his head in his hands. As much as he wanted to stay with Amy, he wanted to go catch this guy. He felt that he was in a no win situation regardless of what he chose. If he accompanied his team, he would be letting Amy down and if something happened to her while he was gone, he'd never forgive himself. On the other hand, if he stayed with Amy, he felt he would be letting his team down and like with Amy if something happened to any of them, he'd feel responsible. The minutes passed and all eyes were on him.

"I can solve this. You all stay here; I'll call my office and have one of the other teams pick up this guy. You can log into our server and watch the interrogation from here." Wrath suggested.

Callen smiled into his hands. That was the best idea he'd heard all day. Hetty chimed in, "Would that be alright with you and your team, Mr. Callen?"

Callen looked from Sam to Kensi to Deeks. "If that's alright with you guys. If I don't go, I don't want any of you going."

Hetty was pleased and troubled at the same time. They all answered that they were okay with it, but offered to go if they were needed. Agent Wrath assured them that they weren't and called his team. Nell and Eric sent everything they'd found to his office and signed off until they got word that Collin Brass had been brought in. If was an odd, feeling sitting back and watching someone else do their work. They sat and waited for the call. One by one they all trickled in and out of the room. Going to the restroom, getting something to drink, something to eat or just out for some fresh air.

Callen could tell that Amy was antsy and restless and asked if she'd like to try to go for another walk. Thankful, she agreed. Sam let Connie know while Callen got her socks on her and helped her into the robe, then off the bed. On the way past the nurses' station Callen asked how far they could go. Since everyone but Eric and Agent Wrath were armed, she allowed them to take her outside, but told them to come back if Amy was in too much pain. Deeks wheeled Agent Wrath with them as they all walked to the elevator. The MPs were told to take a break and get something to eat. They told Callen that they would return with their replacements since they should've been off at seven.

It was a beautiful spring morning. The sun was shining and a light breeze blew. Callen held Amy's hand as they walked the grounds around the hospital. If they had been alone, they would've sat in the shade for a while, but with everyone in toe they were taking their chances just by holding hands. Hetty smiled from ear to ear as she watched them. She knew not if, but when they finally got together it would be forever. She hoped her dear friend Helene was looking down on this moment.

Amy had to stop a few time because of the pain, but Callen held her close. Everything seemed to fade when she was in his embrace; all her worries, the past, everything except the kids. Callen asked if she thought Rick would bring the kids to visit that evening if she wasn't released. Amy hoped he did, but wasn't looking forward to another confrontation. She missed the kids so much, even though it had been less than a day since she saw them.

Callen mentioned that he had something he wanted to talk to her about once they were alone again. She was curious, but even with pressing, he wouldn't tell her what. He saw the glint of anticipation in her eyes and prayed she was receptive. After his conversation with Sam about marriage, Callen wanted to approach Amy with the idea. He knew it was bad timing, being that she wasn't divorced yet, but he needed her to know what he wanted for their future. .

On their way back into the hospital, Agent Wrath's phone rang. He answered, hopeful that they'd apprehended Brass without incident. Everyone could tell by his changing facial expression that it wasn't good information. He thanked the agent who called and hung up.

They all stood silently anticipating the news. Agent Wrath sighed and dropped his phone in his lap before he explained what happened. "When they got to the Encinitas address, there was no answer. They broke down the door and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a suicide note. It seems he was remorseful for his part in this whole thing, from Staff Sergeant Mason's death to helping Awan with all of his plans. We now have a location of the body of the chow hall worker Awan claimed to have dumped."

"Shit." Callen said forgetting Hetty was present. He quickly looked at her knowing she was going to deduct his pay for his flagrant outburst.

Hetty looked at him wide-eyed and smiled. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. Callen. Of course, I might have chosen a different phrase."

"We need to find out if there's anyone else out there that's connected to this case." Sam said.

"I'm beginning to wonder if this case is ever going to end." Callen commented pulling Amy close, kissing her head.

Amy looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "Callen you probably shouldn't do that in public."

"I know, but at this point I don't care." He told her.

"Alright, let's get back upstairs and figure out what our next move is." Hetty said ushering them through the door.


	12. Chapter 12

When the group made it back to Amy's floor, Connie was waiting. "Oh thank goodness Mrs. Russell, Dr. Burke's been waiting for you. He wants to check you over to determine whether or not to send you home today."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said walking towards the room as fast as she could. Callen went with her while the other went into the waiting room at the other end of the ward. They walked past Dr. Burke who was waiting at the nurses' station. Amy looked at him and gave him an apologetic look; fortunately, he didn't appear to be upset by the wait.

Connie and Callen helped Amy back on to the bed as the doctor walked in. "Good morning Mrs. Russell. I heard about your excitement this morning. It's never a dull moment with you around is it?"

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Is it really that bad with me here?" she gave him a worried look.

"No Mrs. Russell, I'm joking with you. You're keeping everyone on their toes and the nurses have enjoyed the eye candy as they call them. I think you, Agent Callen have been nicknamed Special Agent Sexy. Connie, what do you call the blonde?" he said looking at the nurse.

Connie was thoroughly embarrassed, "I plead the fifth, Dr. Burke."

Amy and Callen laughed. "I seem to recall that he called you sweet cheeks or something like that." Callen told her.

"Callen, don't tell her that. He didn't give you a nickname, but he was admiring you assets as you walked away." Amy told her.

Connie buried her face in her hands and laughed.

"Now Agent Callen, are you going to be providing protection for Mrs. Russell if she's discharged tonight?" Dr. Burke asked obviously concerned for Amy's safety.

Callen scratched his head. "Probably not, I will be returning to my office in LA tomorrow morning if my Operations Manager has her way. We might be able to have and Agent from the office on base stay with her, but it won't be me."

The doctor thought for a moment. "How are you feeling Mrs. Russell? What's your pain like?"

"I'm a little sore from the walk but otherwise, I think I'm doing pretty good." She told him honestly.

"Are you at all concerned about your safety if you go home?" he asked.

"I am." She admitted, looking at Callen. "If it would be alright with you, I'd like to stay at least one more night, just to be on the safe side."

Callen was happy with Amy's decision and nodded his approval. "I think that's a very wise decision, Amy. I'm sure Hetty will have Kensi and or Deeks stay with us tonight."

The doctor looked from Callen to Amy and back again. "Alright, I agree that's the best option right now. Let's take a look at you incision and I think Connie here is going to help you shower if your incision looks ok."

Amy looked at Callen and blushed, remembering their conversation last night and what it led to. As the doctor pulled on the blue sterile gloves, she pulled her gown up; making sure nothing was showing and stuck her tongue out at Callen. He frowned in response. Connie caught the exchange and gave them a curious look.

The doctor peeled back the tape and gauze pad. "Wow, Connie look at this. The incision looks like it's at least a three or four days old, not a day."

Amy looked down at her incision, if you looked past the iodine stained skin and dried blood; the incision was nothing more than a wide pink line.

"Have you ever had surgery before?" the doctor asked her.

"No, I mean I had my wisdom teeth out in high school and the only other time I had stitches was when I sliced my finger, I was twenty-one." She told him.

"You could technically go home today, but given the situation and the attempt on your life last night, I'd rather keep you here as long as possible." He told her taking off his gloves. Dr. Burke shook his head in disbelief. "Connie, she can go ahead and shower."

"Agent Callen, would you like to come with me so Mrs. Russell has some privacy. I'd like to talk to your Operations Manager see if we can't keep you and your team here as long as she's staying with us." He said leading Callen out of the room.

Callen turned around and smiled at Amy she laughed and stuck her tongue out at him again.

Once Callen and Dr. Burke closed the door, Connie looked at her. "Ok, spill it Mrs. Russell."

"Please call me Amy." She told her.

"Alright Amy, what's the deal with you and Special Agent Sexy. I walked in last night to find him on the bed with you and then you stick your tongue out at him twice in a matter of ten minutes. Is there something going on with you two?" Connie asked with her arms crossed, leaning on the counter.

Amy sighed and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you can say we're working towards something, if that makes sense?"

"But you're married, Amy!" Connie exclaimed.

"Nothing serious has happened or will happen until after I file for divorce." Amy assured her.

Feeling bad for her outburst, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to judge you like that."

"No, I know. That's the hardest part of all of this. I'm trying so hard not to let things spiral out of control or go too far. I planned on filing for divorce before I met Callen. He's just added incentive to do it as soon as possible." Amy told her.

"After the way your husband acted yesterday, I take it things aren't good at home?" Connie asked.

"No not at all, Rick has some issues and I'm done dealing with them. It's not healthy for the kids or me to be around it." She said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's going on?"

"Rick's got a five month old daughter with another woman." She said, seeing Connie's reaction, she continued. "Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Holy shit. I'm sorry. I can't imagine what it's like living with that every day. How have your kids handled it?"

Amy shook her head. "The kids have been troopers, but it's getting harder for them and I feel it's time to make an exit."

"Ok, so back to you and Callen. How long have you known each other?" Connie asked.

"Oh wow, we met April second, three days before my birthday. He and his partner; Sam came to my house asking about my neighbor's husband's death. He didn't talk very much, except for asking questions. I talked more with Sam than Callen. Sam came back on my birthday with flowers and Callen came by on Saturday, and they started staying at my house on Sunday I think it was."

"You've only known each other for two weeks? Oh my gosh." She said shocked.

"Yeah, two weeks, it's been the worst, best week of my life." Amy told her smiling.

"Why do you say that?"

"You've seen Callen, it's hard to stick to my morals and values. I don't believe in having an affair." She said feeling ashamed.

"You've stayed faithful to your husband?" Connie asked.

"Through the entire time we've been married. Rick's been fooling around for the last six years." Amy told her ashamed for staying so long.

"Six years, damn, you should be sainted. You stayed for the kids?"

"Yes and no. Can we talk about something else? All this bullshit with Rick depresses me." She laughed. "I'm still second guessing myself, the choice between Callen and my husband of twelve years is tough."

"Amy honey, seriously. Callen wins by a mile" Connie told her smiling as she went to the bathroom to get everything ready for Amy's shower.

"Well the short woman that we went downstairs with, just informed me that my Great-grandmother left me her house. She presented me with a key to the house, a lease agreement and a check. The kids and I will be moving in after they get out of school and we have some renovations done, so June." She said taking off the robe and walking to the bathroom.

"I bet you can't wait, can you?" she smiled. "So do you want to get married again?"

Amy stopped and thought about it. "I don't know. I've been married twice already. I'm afraid if Callen and I get married it'll end up just like the first two."

"Amy third time's the charm." Connie told her.

"True, but it will be a while before I'll be ready to get married again." Amy said untying her gown.

"Have you guys talked about it?" Connie asked starting the water.

"No, but he said there was something he wanted to talk about tonight after everyone left. You don't think that's what he wants to talk about, do you?" Amy asked suddenly afraid.

"Amy, the man clearly loves you. He came into your life for a reason. I think if you let him go or let this opportunity pass you by you'll regret it for the rest of your life." She said stepping back to let Amy get in the shower. "I'll be right out here if you need me."

"Alright." Amy said enjoying the feeling of the warm water on her skin.

Fifteen minutes later, Amy and Connie were walking towards the sitting room. Callen saw her and smiled. He thought she looked cute in the light blue scrubs. The pant legs were rolled several times, but Amy was still stepping on them and the shirt hung to one side off her shoulder. Quickly, she pulled it back up and pulled it closer to her neck, letting the back sag. Her wet hair was combed like she usually had it, parted on the side and tucked behind her ears.

Callen moved out of the doorway so they could pass. She didn't smell like she normally did after a shower, but she still smelled good. Amy smiled at him as she passed and patted his stomach. Connie made sure she was sitting down before she turned to everyone else and asked that they keep her sitting. Everyone agreed and Connie left the room. Callen walked over to sit next to her and asked how she as feeling. He had to laugh when she told him she felt human again.

Hetty was talking to Agent Wrath while the rest were talking amongst themselves. Finally, Hetty turned to Amy and smiled. She asked Deeks to close the door and began addressing the room. "Alright, Dr. Burke decided to keep Amy at least one more day. Callen, I assume you're going to be staying here with her?"

"I'd like to if it's alright with you." He told her.

"Yes, of course." She turned to Kensi and Deeks. "I would like the two of you to remain here with them this evening. I'd rather have our team here than the MPs. Sam, you can either go home or stay with them. Nell, Eric I need you to start running background checks on everyone, government contractors as well, who work at SOI. We have to know if there is anyone else out there who is working with Awan. Where are we with finding out exactly who this Kahn person is?"

Nell and Eric looked at each other. Eric waved her on. "Well, we've managed to trace the origin of the communications through several different IP addresses and routers worldwide. Whoever he is, he's gone to great lengths to hide himself. Eric's been working on finding his actual location and has pretty much pin pointed him here in the United States, where exactly, we're still working on. As soon as we find his location, we should be able to find out more about him."

"Very well, thank you Ms. Jones." She sighed, turning to Agent Wrath, "When is Awan scheduled to be transferred?"

"Last I heard, sometime today. I don't know where they're taking him. Hopefully as far away from Amy and Kathy Mason as possible." He told her.

"I don't think he's interested in Kathy right now," Hetty admitted. "He's taken on Amy as a challenge. He's toying with her. Amy, since Richard has spoken to Awan in the past, do you think there is any way he could be involved in all of this?"

Amy sat silent for a moment, horrified by the notion. She looked at Callen and then at Hetty. "I never really thought of it. I hope to God he's not."

Callen put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Still, we can't take any chances. Nell, start looking at Richard as well." She saw the pained look in Amy's face and turned back to her. "Amy, I'm just covering all the bases. I pray he's not involved for your sake and the children's."

Rick stepped off the elevator and walked towards Amy's room. Jenny ran ahead and stopped when the room was empty. He called her back to him and walked to the nurses' station to ask where she was. Connie took one look at him and her blood began to boil. "Staff Sergeant Russell. I didn't think we'd be seeing you until later today. Are you looking for Amy?"

"Yes, I have an appointment and I can't take out daughter. I was hoping it would be okay with Amy if I left her here for a while." He told her.

"I'm sure she'd love to have her here. Let me go tell her you're here." She said and took off for the sitting room. She knocked on the window and opened the door. "Amy your husband is here with your youngest. He says he has an appointment and can't take her with him. Typically it's against hospital policy, but given the circumstances."

Amy stood and walked to the door.

Connie stopped her before she left the room, "Act like you're in pretty bad shape, so when he's told that you're not coming home today he can see why."

Slowly, Amy walked next to Connie. Hunched over and a pained look on her face, she walked to Rick. "I've got an appointment with my lawyer and I can't take Jenny. Can she stay here with you for a while?"

"I can't take care of her, Rick." Amy said.

"Well, Callen's still here, right?" He retorted.

"Yes, but he's here to protect me, not babysit Jenny." Amy countered.

"Sounds like the same thing to me, whether it's you or Jenny." He said looking at his watch. "I've got to go; I have to be there in fifteen minutes. Can she stay here or not?"

Amy looked at Connie. "It's okay I guess, if it's alright with you."

"It's fine Mrs. Russell. I'll walk the two of you back to the sitting room." She said and the three left Rick standing by himself.

As soon as Jenny saw Callen, she ran into his waiting arms. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a nice tight hug before he turned her around to sit on his leg. Everyone who hadn't met Amy's kids commented on how much Jenny looked like Amy or how cute she was. Jenny soaked up and loved the attention. Sam walked over and picked her up, giving her a hug too. Jenny asked when his daughter was going to come play with her again and Sam told her soon. She was content with the answer and squirmed to be put down. Jenny walked hesitantly over to Hetty and hugged her legs. Hetty bent over and gave the girl a proper hug.

The conversation was put on hold while Jenny was present, so they turned cartoons on and watched with her. Hetty stepped out to make a phone call.

Rick got to base legal with five minutes to spare. He checked in and took a seat to wait for his lawyer. Within minutes, he appeared in the doorway and called him in. They shook hands and walked into the office.

"How are you Staff Sergeant?" the officer asked.

"I'm here, given the situation." Rick said.

The middle-aged lawyer sat back in his chair and pulled a file from the drawer behind him. "I received a call from your Warrant Officer shortly after I got off the phone with you. What the hell are you doing?"

Rick shook his head.

"The Warrant Officer, said you stopped taking your meds, stopped seeing the Psychiatrist, neglected to check in with the First Sergeant as ordered, you're still talking to and meeting with other women- disobeying the direct order to stop and that you disappeared for two day, thus leaving you daughter to call Special Agent Callen to take your wife to the hospital. This is not at all good for your case."

"You think I don't know that?" Rick spat.

"Staff Sergeant, you're skating on very thin ice. He also told me about you wanting a restraining order against Special Agents Callen and Hanna. Tell me what happened."

"I think there's something going on with my wife and Special Agent Callen. When I finally went to the hospital to see her, he and Special Agent Hanna were there with her. Words were exchanged and I pushed the hospital bed hurting my wife. Special Agent Callen started to walk towards her and I stopped him, pushing him back, telling him to stay away from my wife. He grabbed my hand and told me to treat her as such and that if I ever put my hands on him again he'd break them. He said this while twisting my wrist. Then Special Agent Hanna grabbed me and threw me against the wall, said I didn't know who he was or what he was before he became an agent, that he'd kill me and that he'd always outrank me."

"What did you say to Special Agent Hanna for him to threaten you like that?" The Captain asked.

"Special Agent Hanna told Special Agent Callen to stop so I turned around and asked if he was Callen's keeper. Agent Hanna got in my face and told me that if anyone was going to hurt me it would be him. I basically dared him and told him I could take him. That's when he put his hands on me and made the threat." Rick said.

"Why didn't you answer you phone when they tried calling you. I understand after Special Agent Callen and your wife arrived at the hospital, he tried calling you. Then the surgeon called you."

"I'd left my phone on the charger in the truck." He told him.

"Were you with another woman?" The Captain asked, knowing he was.

"Yes, I was." Rick said.

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Damn it Staff Sergeant. You're digging yourself one hell of a hole. You have to stop this behavior. No ifs ands or buts. If you do this shit again, I'll throw you in the brig myself. I don't care what you have to do, permanently attach your lips to your wife's ass if need be. I don't want to get another call like this again."

"What about the restraining order?" Rick asked.

He laughed. "Rightfully, neither of them should've put their hands on you or threatened you like that. However, given the fact that they've been assigned to protect your wife and your behavior, they were justified in their actions. There is no way a restraining order can be issued for your wife and children, only for you. Since they are protecting your family, they are also protecting you. All you can ask is that someone other than those two continues the detail."

"So you're advising me against the restraining order?"

"I am. You can ask your wife to stop whatever you suspect is going on between her and Agent Callen. Ask for someone else to watch your family. I will not be petitioning for a restraining order for you. You're going to have to deal with it." He told Rick.

"Fine. Whatever." Rick said stood and walked out. He'd hit a dead end. Rick knew that asking for someone else to watch Amy was foolish. The only thing he could think to do was waiting until the case was over and tell, not ask Amy to end things with Callen. He knew she would because she rarely went against his wishes.

He stepped off the elevator and walked down to the sitting room. He opened the door and saw Jenny asleep in Callen's arms. While it made him angry, he realized that he stood to lose Amy and the kids to him. He couldn't allow it. Amy saw him and stood quickly, then doubled over in pain and fell to the floor. Everyone thought it was an act, but Amy didn't get back up. Kensi and Sam ran to her side and saw the genuine pain on her face. Rick ran back down the hall to the nurses' station and got Connie. When he returned to the door, Amy was still in the fetal position on the floor.

Connie took one look at her and yelled for someone to find Dr. Burke. Callen still had Jenny in his arms, looking at Rick to take her. When the doctor pushed through the door, Connie had Amy on her back. Amy's scrub top was soaked with blood. Another nurse ran into the room, then ran right back out again yelling for help. They cleared the room so there was enough space to maneuver around Amy. The nurse returned with an armful of sterile gauze pads, saline, towels and tape. The door slammed closed, leaving the other to stand in the hall.

Rick walked to Callen and offered to take Jenny from him, but Callen said he was fine with her. They stared each other down for a few moments before Rick turned and walked away. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Everyone stood watching as Rick buried his face in his hands.

"I've never seen anything like this. She was healing fine." Dr. Burke said as he applied pressure trying to stop the bleeding.

"Do you think she just stood too fast?" Connie asked unwrapping more gauze pads.

"She must have, but to tear the incision and stitches open like that?" The second nurse; Diane said trying to calm Amy. "Did she completely reopen the incision or just partially?"

"If we could get it to stop bleeding, I could get a better look." He told her.

"How are you doing Amy?" Connie asked, knowing Amy was in excruciating pain.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Amy cried.

"You tore the incision open. I told you to be careful." Connie told her.

"We've got to get her to a more sterile environment so I can stitch her back up. Call for a gurney, drape and everything needed for sutures." He instructed.

"Are we taking her up to an OR?" Connie asked.

"No, I can do it here." He told her.

The door opened and Diane ran out, they tried to see what was going on inside before she closed the door. They heard her rummaging through the supply cabinet and medication locker. She stacked everything they needed on the gurney and ran it back to the sitting room. Sam opened the door for her and helped her wheel it in. He glanced over at Amy sprawled on the floor and blood everywhere.

Once she slammed the door in his face, he told the others what he saw. They all grew silent as he described the scene. Kensi walked over to Rick to let him know what was going on. Callen watched as she sat beside him and began talking.

Rick looked at Kensi, then over at Callen. "He's in love with her isn't he?"

Kensi looked at Callen and back at Rick. "I don't know. I know he cares for her."

"I might as well throw in the towel. He can give them everything I never could." Rick sighed resting his head against the wall.

"I don't know the entire story, but…" she started

"I've been a horrible husband and father. I can't help but think she wouldn't be in here if it weren't for all the shit I've done." He told her.

"You can't blame this on you. This was just some fluke. I know these types of things aren't common." Kensi told him

"What should I do?" he said looking to her for answers.

"Rick, I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do. I can't even give you advice on this." She told him honestly.

"I sure fucked this up." He said with tears in his eyes.

Kensi looked back at Callen who was watching the conversation. She gave him a look of desperation. He handed Jenny off to Sam and walked over to Rick and Kensi. "Rick, how about you and I go for a walk and talk for a few minutes.

Rick looked up at him and saw no aggression in his face. He thanked Kensi, stood and the two walked down to Amy's room. Everyone watched them walk in and shut the door behind them. Sam tried to hand Jenny off to Kensi, but Hetty stopped him.

"I think Richard just had and ah-ha moment. Let them talk Mr. Hanna, I doubt anything will happen." She said.

"Alright Amy, we're going to lift you onto the gurney so we can work on you easier." He said and counted to three. Amy screamed out in pain as they lifted her and set her down.

Connie was measuring a dose of local anesthetic from a vial, placed the cap back on the needle and sat it next to Amy. Diane was prepping the needle and thread, while the doctor cleaned the wound with saline and iodine.

"Should we give her something to relax her a little more?" Connie asked.

"Yes not too much, Demerol. Diane, call Dr. Atkins up from the ER to assist, please. I know you two normally don't do stuff like this." He said watching Connie run to the door and Diane run to the phone. "Amy, we're going to give you something for the pain and also make you sleep. Are you doing okay?"

Amy nodded with tears streaming from her eyes. She wished Callen was there, she needed him.

Rick sat on the bed as Callen closed the door, and then leaned against the wall. "Look, Rick, I want to apologize for yesterday."

"No, I shouldn't have stopped you. You're in love with her, aren't you?" Rick asked.

Callen wasn't sure what type of reaction his answer would bring. He thought before he spoke. "I am. Nothing has happened, except that I've kissed her."

Rick shook his head instantly seeing the mental image of them together. He let out a ragged breath. "Has she filed for divorce yet?"

"No, she was going to wait until June when the kids got out of school." Callen said, knowing it may have been too much information.

"Are you two going to get together afterwards?" Rick asked already knowing they were.

"I'd like to see that happen, but Amy's mentioned needing some time." He said.

Rick sat silent again. "Are you going to take care of them the way they deserve?"

"If you will allow it to happen, yes. Look Rick, I have no intentions of taking your place as their father, but I love them as much as I love Amy." Callen said stepping away from the wall.

"All I ask is that you let me see them." Rick said looking at the floor.

"I wouldn't have it any other way and I know Amy won't keep the kids from you." Callen reassured him.

"I'll be as cooperative with this as I possibly can." Rick said looking Callen in the eye.

"Can I ask why this sudden change of heart?" Callen asked.

"There's been a lot. The kids talked about you non-stop last night. Seeing the way you looked at Amy yesterday when I shook the bed. Walking in and seeing Jenny asleep in your arms and the look of sheer joy when you looked down at her." Rick said with his eyes tearing.

"I'm sorry Rick. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never intended on falling in love with Amy." Callen said.

"I know you can't control who you fall in love with, or who you fall out of love with. Do you think she still loves me?" Rick asked not expecting much.

"She does, that is what has made her decision so hard. She does still love you and always will, but she realizes that she can't change what has happened. We're both hoping that you will get some real help now, not for the sake of the marriage, but for the kids." Callen said slipping his hands in his pockets.

Rick nodded, "I will this time and I mean it. I never wanted to lose Amy, I do love her, but I need help."

"I'm here for you if you ever need to talk. I don't want things to be awkward between us. We both love them and want what's best for them." He said.

"Thank you." Rick said.

"We need to work together on this. It's going to be a very long and difficult road, but I hope we're all better off for it." Callen said.

Rick stood and smoothed out his cammies, then looked at Callen and offered his hand. Callen shook his hand and smiled. "We should probably go back out before they thing we're beating the hell out of each other in here."

"Yeah, and check on Amy too." Rick laughed.

Rick smiled wildly as he followed Callen out. His plan worked perfectly.

Kensi and Deeks were standing next to each other when Sam walked up to them. Looking at the door, Deeks asked "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Since we don't hear screaming and yelling, I think they called a truce." Sam said looking down at Jenny.

"Rick's taking responsibility for Amy being in the hospital. He's beating himself up pretty bad." Kensi said.

The door opened and neither man was bleeding or bruised, in fact both were smiling. Kensi looked at Sam and Deeks, then Hetty. All appeared to be relieved, but none trusted Rick. They walked back over to the group when Rick realized he should call work and let them know what happened to Amy. He stood with the rest of them as he placed the call. When the Warrant Officer questioned him about the legitimacy of his claims, Rick offered to hand the phone to one of the agents. He was instructed to stay at the hospital and call as soon as he knew anything about Amy. Rick agreed and hung up.

Another doctor in scrubs stepped off the elevator and ran to the sitting room, he threw the door open and closed it quickly. Dr. Burke told him what had happened and that Amy had already been given something for the pain which had also put her to sleep. Dr. Atkins stepped to the other side of the gurney opposite Dr. Burke. Diane handed him a pair of gloves and they watched as Dr. Burke injected the local anesthetic around the wound. When he felt it was sufficiently numbed, they began stitching her back up.

Callen and Rick both looked at their watches, it had been an hour since she went down they couldn't imagine what was going on with the woman they loved. Callen turned Rick's attention at the Warrant Officer who was coming out of the elevator. Rick called to him. He was shocked to see Callen and Rick standing together and not fighting. Callen and Rick explained what happened and what they knew. Callen introduced the Warrant Officer to the rest of the team. He too found himself holding up the wall while they waited for news.

Thirty minutes later, Connie emerged from the room. She saw all the faces staring back at her with anticipation. "She's fine, tore the incision open. Dr. Burke and Dr. Atkins sewed her back up, but she's on strict bed rest for the rest of the day."

Callen and Rick looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. They looked around at the rest of the smiling faces. Connie ran back to the room with a gown and closed the door quietly. Five minutes later, Diane came out with a bag full of the bloody scrubs, gauze pads and towels. Jenny woke us and wanted Callen. Rick didn't argue or put up a fight. When Diane returned, she told the group that they were going to be wheeling her out and they'd need to stand back.

Amy was asleep and covered with a blanket when they brought her out. Jenny took one look at her and started crying. Callen and Rick tried to explain what had happened and she eventually calmed down. Diane walked ahead to clear the room so they could get the gurney in. Connie went to the nurses' station and called for housekeeping.

Once Amy was back in bed, Dr. Burke and Dr. Atkins walked out to talk Rick, Callen and Hetty. "She needs to rest for the next couple hours. Once she wakes up, only a few in the room at a time. We need to keep her as still as possible, she's going to be in a lot of pain." They were told.

"Can I bring the kids up to see her this afternoon?" Rick asked.

"I don't see any reason why not, as long as nothing happens like yesterday." Dr. Burke warned, looking between Callen and Rick.

"I promise, never again." Rick told him.

"I don't want her to do too much; no one is to sit on or with her." He said looking at Callen. Hetty raised an eyebrow at Callen how nodded in response.

Rick smiled and patted Callen on the back, "Sorry."

"Ms. Lange, are you keeping agents here tonight along with Agent Callen?" he asked.

"Yes, at least two; Special Agent Blye and Detective Deeks will be here. I've given Special Agent Hanna the option of either staying or going home to be with his family." She told him.

Dr. Burke looked down at himself, "I need to go change. I'll be back up in a couple hours to check on her. You can go in and see her, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Dr. Burke." Hetty said as he walked away. "You three can go in, I'll go talk to the rest of the team and see if I can't think out the herd a little. Richard, if it's alright with you, I want Mr. Callen in that room with her at all times."

"That's fine." He said and disappeared into the room.

"Mr. Callen, a moment before you go in." Hetty said

"What is it?" he asked, not fully trusting Rick alone with her.

"I'm going to go tell the Warrant Officer that he will be here for a while. Do you think Sam or Kensi would mind picking Ricky and Kristy up if Rick doesn't want to leave?"

"I don't see any reason why not. Sam would probably be the best one to send. The kids know him better." Callen said before he walked into Amy's room.

"Now, remember, your Mom's supposed to be resting, so no goofing off or being loud. If you guys need help with your homework, one of us will help you." Sam told them.

"I like your car Sam." Rick said from the back seat.

Sam smiled and looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Thank you; she's pretty cool isn't she?"

"So how did my Mom reopen the incision?" Kristy asked.

"I'm not sure how, but she stood up really fast when your father came to the door and saw your sister asleep on Callen." He told her.

"Was Daddy mad?" Ricky asked.

"He may have been, but when he saw your Mom hit the floor, he was worried." Sam told him again.

"What do you think Callen and my Dad were talking about when they went to my Mom's room?" Kristy asked.

"I don't know, but there was no yelling and they came out smiling." He said looking at her in the passenger seat, then back at the road.

"Interesting." She said and looked out the window as they passed the airfield.

Sam smiled and looked at Kristy. "I thought so too. Are you guys hungry?"

"Yes!" They shouted, seeing McDonald's coming up on the right.

"What do you want?" he asked laughing; his daughter's response was always the same when McDonalds was involved.

"I want a chicken nugget meal if that's okay?" Kristy asked.

"No problem, what do you want to drink?" Sam asked.

"A Hi-C orange, please." She said.

"Ricky, what about you?" he said looking in the rearview mirror.

"A double cheeseburger meal with a Dr. Pepper, please." He said.

Sam eyed him, "Do your parent's let you drink soda?"

"Yes, they do." Kristy told him. "Not all the time, though. It's been a few days since he had a soda last."

"We had soda Friday night when Callen ordered pizzas and we watched movies." Ricky added.

"Alright, but if your Mom or Dad gets mad at me, I'm going to get the two of you." He laughed and turned into the parking lot.

Sam pulled the Challenger into the drive thru and waited. Within ten minutes, he had ordered and received their food. He was waiting for traffic to clear when his phone rang. Kristy looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Michelle. Sam told her she could answer it. Kristy talked to Michelle while Sam drove relaying information between them. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Michelle had decided that she and their daughter would head up to spend some time with them.

They walked out of the elevator to find the hall virtually empty. Outside Amy's room stood Kensi, Deeks and Hetty. He looked behind them at the sitting room and saw no one but the cleaning crew steam cleaning the carpet. They waved at Connie as they passed the nurses' station. The kids ran up to Hetty and gave her a hug, then moved onto Kensi and then Deeks. They stood and talked for a few minutes before going in to see their mother, eat and start their homework. When Jenny saw that they had McDonalds, she got mad and started yelling. Sam kicked himself for not getting her anything, but Kristy offered to share her chicken nuggets and fries. Fortunately, Jenny calmed down, but not before waking up Amy.

Everything that had happened was a blur. Pain gripped her as she tried to lift her head to see everyone. Callen saw her move and went to her. Rick just sat back and watched, then joined Callen at her bedside. Amy looked at them confused. She honestly thought she'd woken up in some alternate universe since the two weren't at each other's throats or giving one another the evil eye. Both smiled down at her.

"How are you feeling, Amy?" Callen asked.

She moaned her response fearing the slightest movement would inflict pain.

"Do you want more pain medication? I can go get the nurse." Rick said.

Amy weakly nodded and looked to Callen as Rick walked away. "What happened?" Callen began to explain that she'd reopened the incision when she stopped him. "No, between the two of you, it looks like you're getting along."

"I apologized for yesterday and we talked for a while." He told her.

"What did he tell you?" she asked

"He said he was going to get help, step back so we can be together. We'll see what happens." He told her brushing her hair back with his hand.

Connie followed Rick in and brought an automatic IV drip machine. Amy looked at her right hand and noticed that somewhere in amid all of the chaos they'd given her another IV.

After Connie set up the machine, she turned to Amy. "You scared the shit out of us, Amy. Please don't ever do that again. This is going to give you a little bit of pain medication over the next few hours. It should be enough to keep the pain at bay."

Amy smiled and thanked her.

"Is there anything I can get you before I head back out?" Connie asked.

"Some of those damn French fries would be wonderful." Amy said with a shallow laugh.

Callen turned to the kids and saw a few fries left in Ricky's carton. He stole a few and fed one to Amy.

"Alright, I'll be back in a little bit to check on you, do you want to sit up a little?" Connie asked.

"Sure, just a little, my back is starting to hurt." She said and grunted as Connie raised her head a few inches.

"Alright, I'm off. Stay still." She told Amy before leaving.

Sam stuck his head in the door and saw that Amy was awake. She saw him and waved him in. "Michelle's on her way up." He told her taking her hand.

"She doesn't have to. Traffic's going to be a nightmare." Amy told him.

"Sorry to burst you bubble, she's not coming up to see just you. I'm staying here tonight." He laughed.

"Sam, you really don't have to. I'm sure Callen, Kensi and Marty can take care of everything." She said grimacing through another wave of pain.

"You okay, Amy?" Callen asked.

"Just some pain, I'm okay." She told him smiling.

"Can one of you help me with my math homework?" Ricky asked standing at the foot of Amy's bed.

"Sure." Sam said getting ready to walk over to him, but Rick stepped up.

"I've got it, Sam." Rick said. "Go ahead and talk with Amy."

"Where'd everyone else go?" Amy asked hoping she got their names right.

"Hetty sent them back to the office. She figured they weren't being productive if they were just standing around. They said they'd call if they got anything. Agent Wrath's wife came to get him and the Warrant Officer went back to work." Callen told her leaning on the bedrail.

"Oh, ok. Is Hetty still here?"

"Yeah, she was outside talking to Kensi and Deeks when the kids and I got here." Sam told her.

"Why did you go get them?" she asked looking at him oddly.

"So Callen and Rick could stay here with you, Callen thought the kids would come with me easier than they would have if Kensi or Deeks had gone to get them.

"Yeah, you're probably right. What time is it?" she asked hungry.

Sam looked at his watch. "It's almost four thirty. Why?"

"I apparently slept through lunch." Amy laughed. "Damn, please remind me not to try to laugh it frigging hurts."

"Do you want me to see when they're bringing dinner in?" Callen asked.

"Please, if you wouldn't mind." She said and he walked out.

Looking at the kids, she realized that she hadn't gotten any love from them since they came in. "You know what, I haven't gotten one hug or kiss from you guys since you got here. You'd better get over here and show me some love." She said.

Instantly, Kristy and Jenny were up and at her side. Sam lifted Jenny so she could kiss Amy. Jenny wanted to lay with her, but Sam told her she'd hurt Amy if she did. Kristy was tall enough to reach her mother without help. Amy touched her face and saw she was about to cry. "I'm ok baby."

"You need to be more careful. I want you to come home soon." Kristy told her.

"I know I'm trying to get better so I can come home. I miss you guys so much." Amy said, pulling her closer.

"I know you are, but you have to try harder." She cried.

"I will, ok. I won't go for any more walks and I won't take anymore showers until I get home, okay?" Amy smiled.

"Ew, no you can shower." Kristy laughed.

"I'm done with my homework." Ricky said appearing next to Kristy.

"Very good, did you thank Daddy for helping you?" Amy reminded him.

Quickly he turned around and ran to Rick. "Thank you for helping me with my math, Daddy."

"You're welcome, Bubba." Rick said pulling him in for a hug.

Amy thought she was going to be sick by Rick's fake show of affection. She knew he was up to something and if she had to bet on it, it wasn't good. Her thought trailed back to the conversation in the sitting room when Hetty asked Nell to thoroughly check Rick out. On one hand, she prayed they found something, on the other that they didn't.

Ricky came back to the bed and put an arm around Amy's head. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too Bubba." She said kissing his cheek.

"Amy, I think I'm going to take the kids home. Get them dinner and let them play outside for a while." Rick said walking to the bed.

"Ok, but they haven't been here very long and they just finished their homework." She said almost in tears.

"They're getting antsy being cooped up in here." He said smiling.

"Do whatever you want, Rick. I'd like to spend some more time with them." She told him.

"My wife's on her way with our daughter, she was looking forward to seeing the girls." Sam said trying to convince him to stay a while longer.

"I'd rather stay here with Mommy." Ricky said looking up at his father.

"Me too." Kristy added.

Rick sighed, looking down at their pleading faces. "Fine, a little longer."

The kids cheered. Callen walked back into the room and wondered why the kids were excited. "What did I miss?"

"Daddy said we could stay a while longer instead of going home." Ricky said.

"Oh good, because Hetty just ordered pizzas and a lot of them; she ordered bacon and cheese and pepperoni and sausage with black olives. I think she said she ordered a combination pizza too." He said.

The kids cheered again and high fived each other. Amy smiled at their exuberance. Rick looked perturbed. She eyed Callen who gave her a curious look in return.

Michelle and her daughter came in just as the pizzas were delivered. Callen and Sam got slices of pizza for the kids before the adults ate. Callen brought Amy a slice of her pizza and put the head of the bed up a little more. The pizza tasted so good. As good as the food was from the cafeteria, this was heaven. She could only eat one slice before the pressure on her stitches got to be too much. Dr. Burke walked in and Hetty immediately offered him a slice of pizza. He commented that he hadn't eaten all day and gladly accepted a slice of the combination pizza.

Shortly after Ricky had his fourth slice and Kristy her third, Rick announced that they were leaving. The kids complained as they got their backpacks and jackets. Each kissed Amy and gave hugs to everyone else. Then they were out the door. Amy was sad to see them go and Callen could see that. A few minutes later, Hetty announced her departure, but said that she would return in the morning. By seven, Sam walked his wife and daughter down to her car and said goodbye.

She sat at the old weathered desk and dialed the number she knew so well. It wasn't like Amy not to call her back within a couple hours, she knew something was wrong. Last week when they talked, she was very strange. All she told her was that she and the kids were fine, but that they had a lot of stuff going on that she really couldn't talk about right then. This was her third call today; the first was in the morning before she left for Chemotherapy, she called again before she left the treatment center and now. Carole looked at the clock on the wall and knew Amy was either in the middle of making dinner or eating. Regardless, she needed to know Amy was okay.

Kristy was coming in from playing to get something to drink when she heard Amy's phone ring. She picked it up, saw a picture of her grandparents on the caller ID and smiled as she answered. "Hi Nina, how are you?"

"Kristy, honey, I expected your Mom to answer, is she around. I've called a couple times today and haven't heard anything back. Is everything okay?" she asked loving the sound of her granddaughter's voice.

"Shoot, no one ever called you. Mom's in the hospital." Kristy told her.

"Hospital, what happened?" she asked panic in her voice.

"She's alright Nina. Mom got sick Saturday night, so Callen took her to the ER. They had to do surgery."

"Who's Callen and what kind of surgery?" she asked quickly.

"It was something about her hernia. Callen's one of the NCIS Agents who's been staying with us for the last week or so." She said.

"Where's your father?" Let me talk to him." She ordered.

Kristy walked into the garage where Rick was organizing his gear for the field op at 29 Palms. "Daddy, Nina's on the phone and wants to talk to you about Mommy."

Rick cursed under his breath and took the phone. "Hi Carole, how are you?"

"I'm fine, what's going on with Amy?" she asked.

"She had a para-esophageal hernia. Her stomach had passed through the Hiatis and the circulation was being cut off. It was a minor surgery, she'll be fine." Rick told her.

"Why didn't you call us to let us know and why did an NCIS agent have to take her to the ER, where the hell were you?" She scolded.

"I wasn't home Carole." He said

"Why is NCIS staying at your house?"

"Amy got her nose into some shit she shouldn't have and two agents were assigned to protect her and the kids." He said sitting in the recliner. He knew the rest of the conversation was not going to be good.

"What room is she in?" Carole asked.

"I don't know what number, but she's on the fourth floor. If you call the Quarterdeck, they should be able to tell you." He told her.

"Alright, thank you Rick. Other than this is there anything else I should know? How are the kids?" She asked.

"The kids are fine, and there's nothing else." He said wishing Kristy hadn't answered her mother's phone.

"Okay, good night. Sorry to have bothered you." She said hanging up before Rick could say another word.

Carole stood and walked into the kitchen, she looked from her husband to her daughter and son-in-law. "Jason, Pat do you have the number for the Quarterdeck at the Naval Hospital?"

"Sure, why?" her Pat answered.

"You're sister had surgery and no one called to tell us. Rick wasn't home when it happened and an NCIS Agent had to take her to the ER. He doesn't even know what room she's in." Carole said sitting at the table.

"What kind of surgery?" her husband; Joseph asked.

"Something with her hernia." She said.

"I'll call the hospital." Her Pat announced.

The phone at the nurses' station rang three times before Connie ran back to answer. "Four west nurse's station, this is Connie."

"Yes, Connie, my name is Carole Vincent. We were just informed that our daughter is a patient there. We were hoping you could give us a little more information about her condition." She said.

"Alright, what's the patient's name?" Connie asked.

"Her name is Amelia Russell. She may be admitted under the name Amy."

Connie stopped and looked over at Amy's room. "Can you hold on just a moment, please?"

"Sure." Carole said.

Connie ran to Amy's door and knocked. "Special Agent Callen, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you for a moment." She said and turned to walk back to the phone.

Callen followed her out and stood next to the desk. "What's going on?"

"I've got someone on the phone claiming to be Amy's mother. She's asking about her condition. What do you want me to tell her?" She asked.

Callen stood there for a moment. "I'll talk to them." Connie handed him the phone and took the call off hold. "This is Special Agent Callen, is this Mrs. Vincent?"

"Yes it is, please tell me what's going on with Amy. I called home and talked to Rick, but he really didn't give me much information." She said.

"I can tell you that Amy's doing well, but I can't give you much more information than that. I will have Amy give you a call in the morning, she's asleep right now." Callen told her.

"I guess that would be alright." Carole said. "Rick said something about a paraesophagael hernia.

"Yes Ma'am, do you know what that is?" Callen asked,

"Yes I do. Do you know when she might be released?"

"She had an accident earlier this morning and re-opened the incision, so she's going to be here a couple more days. Do you want to take my number so you can call me directly?" He asked smiling at Connie.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked ready with a white board marker in her hand.

Callen gave her his number and the number for Amy's room.

"Thank you so much Agent Callen."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Vincent." He said and handed the phone back to Connie.

After the kids finally went to bed, Rick returned to the garage to finish looking for his field gear. He pulled a box off one of the shelves by the water heater and a white envelope fell on the ground. He knew exactly what it was when he saw it. Rick whispered, "That Bitch" under his breath. He opened the envelope as he walked to the recliner and pulled out the contents as he sat down.

On top was a lease agreement with Amy's name on it. He noticed there was no start date and it hadn't been signed. Below it was a copy of her Great-grandmother's will and below that was a certified check for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. By the time he read through the stack of papers, he was furious. Rick put the papers back in the envelope and took it in the house.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam was on the phone with Michelle and was walking past the elevator when it opened and Rick almost knocked him over. Rick immediately apologized and asked him to give Amy her phone. Sam went through it to make sure it was her phone and slipped it into his back pocket.

Hetty walked off the elevator just after ten and walked towards Amy's room. She saw the door open and no one outside. She knew where her agents were and it didn't bother her. Hetty asked how the evening went and was pleased to hear that it was uneventful. She told them that she had spoken to Director Vance and Awan was scheduled for transfer this afternoon. None of them were surprised to learn that he would be taken to Guantanamo Bay. Everyone agreed that was the best place for him given his crimes. Hetty also relayed to the team that the body of the missing chow hall worker had been found exactly where Colin Brass stated it would be in his suicide note.

Callen still wasn't sure his death was a suicide, but the San Diego County Coroner's office was doing an autopsy to confirm it. The hand written letter and several writing samples were sent to their crime lab for further analysis as well.

Hetty called Eric and Nell for an update on the background checks for the rest of the personnel working at SOI. They were roughly half-way through and had found no one else that could be suspected of working with Awan. Nell mentioned that they we just a little closer to finding Kahn, but still didn't know his exact location. Hetty was pleased with the progress, but wished they had more leads. Nell asked to be taken off of speaker phone so she could speak privately with her. Hetty walked out of the room and away from prying ears.

"What is it Ms. Jones?" she asked.

"I've been doing a little digging on Richard Russell like you asked. He made an appointment with a civilian lawyer who is not so on the up and up. He's currently being investigated by several agencies because of his involvement in changing wills in order for his client to receive half of the spouse's assets or inheritance. I know that you were working on something for Amy, could Rick have found out about it and is trying to get half of it?" she told her.

"He could, but I have multiple copies of her great-grandmother's will. I will contact my lawyer to see what he can do. Is there anything else Ms. Jones?" she asked.

"No, that was it. I didn't want to worry Amy about it, that's why I asked to speak to you on a more private basis." Nell told her.

"Alright, thank you for your concern. Keep working on trying to find Kahn and more of Awan's followers or associates." Hetty said and returned to Amy's room.

Just as Amy's lunch arrived, Hetty told the team that she was headed back to the Mission, to work on something for the case. Sam was sitting on one side of Amy and Callen was on the other. She instructed Sam and Callen to stay with Amy while she needed Kensi and Deeks to go back to the office as well. The three walked out and said goodbye to the staff.

As Hetty turned towards the elevator, the doors opened. An older couple got off the elevator and looked around. The woman saw Hetty and immediately walked to her with her arms open. Hetty smiled and welcomed her.

"My dear, how are you?" she said.

"I'm doing well, Henrietta. What on earth are you doing here?" The woman asked.

Sam heard the unfamiliar voices in the hall and looked out to see who it was and knew exactly who they were. He turned to Amy and smiled from ear to ear. "You have visitors Amy." He told her.

"Who?" she asked trying to lean over enough to see who it was, but it hurt too much.

"I went through your phone this morning when Rick gave it to me just to be sure it was yours." He said taking her phone from his back pocket and handing it to her.

"Okay, that's fine. So you recognize them?" she asked.

Callen got up and looked out the door and saw the resemblance between Amy and her parents immediately, then turned around and smiled. "I forgot to tell you this morning that your parent's called last night while you were asleep. I guess Rick never called to tell them you were here."

Amy's expression lightened and she tried to get out of the bed, but Callen stopped her. "No, help me up; please I want to go see them."

Callen and Sam looked at one another and knew that if they didn't help her, she'd do it herself. Since neither of them wanted to see her hurting anymore than she was, they helped her off the bed. Sam tossed Callen the robe and started pulling the extra chairs and tables out of her way.

Amy was so excited. She hadn't seen her parents since moving back to California in June. Tears were streaming down her face by the time she made it to the door. She leaned into Callen for support and Sam had her by the arm on the other side. When her Dad looked up and saw her in the doorway, he walked to her.

"Oh Dad, it's so good to see you." She cried, letting go of Callen so she could hug her father.

Together they walked to where Hetty and her mother were standing. She wrapped her arms around her mother and buried her face in her neck. The tears flowed uncontrollably. As Callen, Sam, Hetty and Amy's father watched the two. Callen was happy that Amy's parents had decided to come down to see her. He knew that not seeing them was tearing Amy apart.

When the women were done sobbing, Amy turned to Callen and Sam to make introductions. "Callen, Sam these are my parents; Joseph and Carole Vincent."

"Oh, you're the one I spoke to last night." Carole said shaking Callen's hand while Joseph and Sam shook hands.

"Yes, that was me." He told her.

"Amy, please tell us what you got yourself into that you need NCIS' protection?" Carole said to Amy.

"Let me guess, you talked to Rick." She said to her parents, then to Callen "He still sees all of this as my fault."

Connie finally noticed that Amy was out of bed. "Amy what the hell are you doing, you heard the doctor yesterday. You're not supposed to be out of bed."

"I'm sorry Connie; I had to come see my parents." Amy pleaded.

"Oh, you called last night, didn't you?" Connie said.

"Yes we did, thank you for getting Agent Callen for us." Carole said shaking Connie's hand.

"Well, with everything that's been going on around here, I didn't want to take any chances on you being anyone else." Connie said coming to Amy's side. "You've seen them, I'm sure they wouldn't mind seeing you in your bed."

"Amelia, bed…now." Her father said, in the tone that would send Amy running for her room as a child.

"Yes, Daddy." Amy said, letting Connie and Callen help her back to the room while Hetty, Sam and her parents followed.

Once Amy was situated in bed with absolutely no reason to get up again, Connie left. Hetty, Callen and Sam began to tell Carole and Joseph how Amy became involved in their case and she and the kids came to be in danger. Her parents appreciated Hetty, Callen and Sam looking after Amy the last few weeks. Carole asked where Rick was Saturday night; Amy and Callen told them about Friday morning's events. Joseph was furious and no one blamed him.

When all of their questions were answered, Hetty excused herself and went back to the Mission. Sam stood after a while and told them that he was going to go grab something to eat and asked Callen if he wanted to join him. He declined, but asked that he brought something back for him. Her father asked when she was going to leave Rick and nearly fell out of his seat when she answered.

"June, Dad. The kids and I are moving in June. Mom, do you remember that Grandma's house was sold before she died?" Amy said.

"Of course I do, why?" Carole asked,

"It's mine now. Hetty bought it. Grandma left instructions to give me the house twenty years after her death." Amy told her, seeing her mother's eyes fill with tears.

"What has Hetty done with it all these years?" Joseph asked,

"She had it with a property management company. In addition to giving me the house, she gave me a check." Amy continued.

"Do you really think you should be talking about this with Callen in the room?" her dad asked.

"I already know everything Mr. Vincent." Callen said and then turned to Amy. "I'm going to let you talk to your parents alone."

"Oh no Callen, you don't have to leave." Carole insisted.

"I know it's been a while since Amy saw you last. I'm sure you have some catching up to do." He smiled.

"True, but we will be here through the weekend, so there's plenty of time to catch up." Carole told him.

"Where are you staying?" Amy asked knowing they had two hotels they frequented in the area.

"We're staying at the Best Western on Oceanside Boulevard." Joseph told her.

Callen and Amy looked at one another. "Have you checked in yet?"

"No why?" Carole asked.

"The man who's been trying to kill me, killed his partners there last week. I really don't want you staying there." She told them.

Carole turned white and looked at Joseph. "Well, I guess we could go stay at that other place we did before on Mission Avenue."

"I don't want you staying there either. They stayed there as well." Amy told them.

"Well, Amy we can't afford to stay any place else. I refuse to stay at your house with Rick." Carols said.

"I'll pay for your hotel." Callen offered.

"No, Amy's just going to have to let go of her silly superstitions and let us stay at one of the two hotels." Joseph said.

"No really, I insist. Both hotels are too far away from the base. There's a hotel right out the front gate I'll call and book the room for you." Callen said looking at Amy.

She smiled at Callen and then at her parents. "Please you guys. Let Callen pay for a hotel closer to the base, where no murders stayed and no one got murdered. Don't worry; I'll pay Callen back for however much it costs."

Joseph and Carole looked at each other. "If you feel that strongly about it Amy. I guess we'll let Callen pay for the hotel. We can pay a portion of it, if you'd let us, Callen."

"No Amy, I don't want you to pay me back." Callen said wanting to touch her so badly. "How about you make me dinner when you're better."

"Just one dinner, a hotel stay is at least a week's worth of home cooked meals." She laughed. Amy grabbed for her stomach.

Instantly, Callen was at her side. "When was the last time you had your pain medication? Do you want me to get Connie?"

"No Callen, I'm fine. I forgot that I can't laugh like that yet." She told him with a loving look on her face.

Carole and Joseph watched the interaction between Callen and Amy, curious if there was more than what it seemed going on. When Amy brought her hand to his face, and they knew instantly.

Callen and Amy remembered they weren't alone and he backed away. Amy looked awkwardly at her parents, expecting the third degree. Instead, she saw smiles. Callen cleared his throat and apologized to them. The awkwardness ended when Sam walked back in with lunch. He handed Callen his, then turned to Amy's parents and handed each of them a diet soda and sandwich.

"Sam, you didn't have to get us something to eat." Carole said.

"I felt bad eating in front of you." He told them un-wrapping his sandwich.

"Mm roast beef, thank you." Joseph said.

"Amy mentioned last week that you like it. Carole, I got you pastrami." He said.

Amy was enjoying watching her parents, Callen and Sam. Callen enjoyed the lightness in Amy's expression.

Callen opened his sandwich and smiled at Sam, then waved it at Amy. "Thank you, corned beef."

He saw Amy's eyes light up and offered her a bite. "No, I've already eaten, but thank you."

"I did get you a soda, Amy. Just hide it from Connie; I don't know if they want you drinking it." Sam said handing her a Mountain Dew.

"Thank you Sam. Is Michelle coming up again tonight?" she asked.

"She mentioned it this morning when I talked to her, but I don't know." Sam answered with a mouthful of turkey club.

"Do you think Rick will bring the kids up this afternoon?" Callen asked trying to hide his excitement.

"I hope so. I know my Mom and Dad would like to see them and I take it you do too." She said smiling at Callen.

"You know I love your kids." Callen told her.

"I know you do, everyone does." She smiled.

"Sam, would you mind sitting with Amy so I can take her parents out to get checked into that hotel just off base?" Callen asked Sam. "Please don't think I'm trying to run you off or get rid of you. I just think the sooner we get you checked in and situated, the sooner you can come back and spend time with Amy and the kids if Rick brings them out tonight."

"Oh, we agree." Joseph said standing and then turning to help his wife to her feet.

Amy hated to see what the Chemo and Radiation had turned her mother into. "You should probably take their rental, Callen. I don't think either of my parents can climb into the back seat of your Jag." She told him.

Her father's eyes lit up. "Jag? Carole, do you want to stay here with Amy. I think Callen and I can get us checked into the hotel."

"Ha, you just want to go for a ride in his Jag, Dad." Amy chuckled.

"That's fine Joe." Carole said taking her seat again.

Callen led Joseph to the door and the two were gone. Amy looked at Sam who seemed uncomfortable sitting with the two women.

"Sam, do you think my parents are ok being here or did they just make themselves a target?" She asked cautiously.

"I don't think they're in any danger, but that could be why Callen's checking them into a closer hotel." He said trying to calm her fears.

"Do you really think these guys would send someone after us?" Carole asked.

"Mom, I wouldn't put anything past him." She said and looked to Sam who agreed.

Sam tried to change the subject. "So, Mrs. Vincent Amy tells us that you're a Navy brat."

"Please call me Carole, yes I was. I never dreamed six of my eight grandchildren would have to deal with the lifestyle." She said.

"It's definitely not an easy life." Sam commented, smiling.

"Oh Amy, I hope you don't mind, but I called your brother to let him know what was going on. Well, just what we knew last night. He said he'd try to call you when he got home from work tonight." Carole said.

"That's fine. How are they doing up there?" Amy asked.

Callen and Amy's Dad were driving down Vandergrift past the airfield. "So Agent Callen, what's going on with you and my daughter?"

"What makes you think there's something going on, Mr. Vincent?" Callen said looking at him and then back at the road.

"I know my daughter. I saw the way you were looking at each other." He said.

Callen sighed and tried to figure out how to tell him. "I'm not trying to avoid the subject or put you off, but I think this is a conversation we need to have with Amy present. I don't know how she wants to tell you."

"Are you in love with my daughter?" Joseph asked.

Callen looked at Joseph when they were stopped at a red light. He didn't have to answer; Joseph could see it on his face.

"Are you willing to take on my daughter and her three children?" Joseph asked.

"Mr. Vincent, not only am I willing to take them on, but I'm going to love them like they're my own." Callen told him with a confident smile.

Joseph smiled and nodded in approval. "Very good, I take it you're the reason she's in such a hurry to file for divorce?"

"Amy doesn't believe in having an affair." He told Joseph, the car behind them honked. Callen gave his attention back to the road.

"I know she doesn't and the fact that she says she's remained faithful to Rick all this time is somewhat of a feat." Joseph told him.

"I agree." Callen smiled.

"Do you believe her?" he asked.

"I do, Amy's never giving me a reason not to trust her." Callen told him.

"I can guarantee you that she never will." He said.

Hetty sat at her desk dialing the number on the business card Dr. Burke gave her. Four rings and it went to voicemail. She left a message: "Dr. Burke, this is Henrietta Lange. I was hoping to discuss with you what Amy might need and what her restrictions will be once she has been discharged. I'm arranging for her and the children to go to one of our safe houses and I'd like to hire a nurse to care for her until she can do so for herself. Please give me a call back as soon as possible."

She looked at her email and noticed she had a mew message. Hetty pulled up the email and saw that it was a confirmation from Brooks Rentals and a manifest of everything that would be delivered later that day. She printed the attached manifest and set it on her desk for later.

Granger walked past the bullpen and saw only Kensi and Deeks. He walked to Hetty's office and asked, "Where are Sam and Callen?"

Hetty looked up from her email, "They are at the Naval Hospital on Camp Pendleton, Owen."

"I thought they already wrapped the case there and everything else would be done from here." He told her.

"Due to some new developments, I've assigned Callen and Sam to Mrs. Russell until further notice." She said standing and making herself a cup of tea.

"What new developments?" he asked taking a seat.

"Callen rushed Amy to the emergency room Saturday night, she had emergency surgery. While recovering, there has been an attempt on her life." She said.

"Why didn't you hand it off to the local NCIS office?" he asked.

"Do you remember Helena Mackay?" she asked sitting with her cup and saucer.

"Yes, I do why?"

"Amy is her great-granddaughter." She said seeing the shock and confusion on his face.

"How did she get involved in all of this?" Granger asked sitting back in his chair.

"Amy lives across the street from the Mason Family. She was seen giving her condolences to Mrs. Mason right after her husband died. A couple weeks ago, Amy took photos of the three suspects and as if that weren't bad enough, her good for nothing lying, cheating husband talked to Awan one night when he was out with another woman." She told him.

Granger smiled at Hetty's anger and choice of words. "Hetty, we can't have them protecting her for much longer, we do have other cases."

"I'm aware of the Owen; I'm in the process of getting everything ready at Helene's for Amy and the kids to move in. I've rented furniture temporarily until she's well enough to move her belongings into the house." She said.

"I hope you're not intending on wasting our resources protecting her." He said.

"Well, she's already very close to Callen. I also know that she's met Sam's wife and daughter. I will contact Culver City police and let them know about the situation." She explained.

"How close to Callen?" he asked.

"Time will tell, Owen." She smiled and looked at her watch and called to the bullpen. "Ms. Blye, Mr. Deeks a moment of your time, please."

Kensi and Deeks looked at each other then at Hetty and Granger, they walked over to Hetty's office. "Mr. Deeks, do you have any contacts with the Culver City Police Department?"

"I think I may know a couple guys over there, why?" he asked looking at her oddly.

"I would like you to contact them and inform them of the situation with Amy Russell and her children. When she is released from the hospital later this week, I'm insisting she and the children stay at her house in Culver City." She told him, then looked to Kensi. "Ms. Blye, if you wouldn't mind, would you and Mr. Deeks go to this address, there will be a rather large delivery in a couple hours. Here is the key, delivery manifest and where everything goes."

"Sure, is this Amy's house?" Kensi asked as she took the packet from Hetty.

"Yes it is. Please go, Dr. Deeks make that call and let me know." She said watching them disappear.

"Don't you think this is a misuse of their time? We could have them half-way through another case, instead you've got them running errands for you or sitting idly at Camp Pendleton." He told her.

"Owen, I've already discussed this with Director Vance. He's approved all of this." She smirked.

Granger stood, sighed and walked away. Hetty picked up the phone and dialed the extension for Ops. "Ms. Jones, I would like you to run a background check on the nurse who's been attending to Amy. Her name is Constance Jefferies. I need her contact information as well."

"Sure Hetty, why do you need it though." Nell asked.

"I would like to offer her temporary employment when Amy's discharged." She said.

"I'll get it all to you as soon as I can." She said and hung up.

Rick sat in the lawyer's office in Carlsbad. The heavy-set sleazy looking man was looking at the paperwork Rick brought. "Well, Mr. Russell. It's all legitimate and legal. Not much can be done for you. Looks like you're screwed out of your half of the two hundred fifty thousand and that house alone has to be worth almost three quarters of a million dollars."

"There's nothing you can do to help me?" Rick asked with a sly smile.

"Well, there is, but I doubt you could afford it and it isn't entirely legal." He smiled.

"There's got to be someone else then who can help me? What about the second issue I asked you about on the phone?" Rick asked,

"Son, there are only a few states that allow Alienation of Affection lawsuits and honestly, since you've got a child with a woman other than your wife, no one's going to hear your case. And that's if California accepted those cases. If your wife's great-grandmother hadn't clearly stated that the house and whatever money it earned over the last twenty years could not be divided, you'd be entitled to half of it, being that California is a community property state."

"What would it take to change the will?" Rick asked.

The lawyer looked up from the paperwork and smiled. "While I like how you think, Mr. Russell, I can tell you that this is concrete. You're out of luck."

"Is there anything I can do at all?" Rick whined.

"No, you're best bet is getting divorced in California. If you go home to Texas and file, you get screwed. California is a no-fault state, but Texas isn't. All your wife has to do is present the paternity test for your illegitimate daughter and it's practically an instant dissolution . My suggestion to you is suck it up and deal with it. Let her file, sign the papers. If she asks for Alimony, pay it. If she asks for child support, pay it. Whatever the judge or mediator tells you to do, do it without complaint."

"What about the recorded conversation with my wife's boyfriend?"

"First of all, it's not admissible in court because he didn't know he was being recorded. Second; you don't know exactly what's gone on between them. Third; you've been cheating on your wife for six years. The fact that your wife hasn't cheated on you in revenge is a miracle. I'm sorry Mr. Russell, I can't and won't help you." He said and stood to shake Rick's hand. Rick took the paperwork off his desk and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Rick merged onto the 5 and headed back to the base, his mind racing. He couldn't lose Amy and the kids to Callen or anyone else for that matter and be left with nothing. Rick looked at the clock on the car stereo and hit the gas, he had ten minutes to get to the house to pick-up the kids and head to the hospital.

Rick pulled into the driveway just as Kristy and Ricky were walking up the street. He waved at them and ran over to Kathy's to get Jenny. She asked if he needed to bring her over tomorrow and he said he did. Kathy didn't mind since it kept Megan out of her hair for a while.

Ricky met them at the base of Kathy's driveway and asked if they were going to go see Amy. He walked over to the house and told them he had to change before they left.

When Callen and Joseph got back to the hospital, Amy and Carole were asleep and Sam was watching TV. He told them to be quiet as they opened the door. Sam motioned for them to go out to the hall and joined them.

"Dr. Burke said he got a call from Hetty earlier asking what Amy was going to need when she's released. Apparently Hetty's going to have Amy and the kids move into one of our safe houses until she's recovered and can go home." Sam told them.

"Which house, they're all full." Callen said, confused

Sam continued, "Then I got a call from Kensi saying that Hetty was having rental furniture delivered to Amy's house in Culver City."

"Are we still going to be protecting her there?" Callen asked.

"I don't know, Hetty asked Deeks to call a couple of his friends with the local police department and give them a heads up. Kensi said the house is just a block or two from yours." Sam said smiling.

"It's a five bedroom house. Four upstairs and a guest room downstairs." Joe said.

"I'm sure Michelle wouldn't mind driving up on the weekends and staying with her for a couple days." Sam said.

"At that rate, I could just move in. Stay in the guest room." Callen said.

"Callen, if you're going to move in with her, you might as well sleep upstairs with her." Joe said.

Callen and Sam shot Joe a look. "I think that might be moving a little too fast."

"G, he's got a point. If Amy's not living on base with Rick, she could file for divorce sooner than June." Sam said.

"Yeah, but Amy said she didn't want to jump into anything right away." Callen told them trying to convince himself more than them.

"I think you should talk to her about it. As stubborn as Amy is, I can tell she loves you, Callen." Joe said.

"Mr. Vincent," Sam laughed.

"Please, call me Joe. What did the doctor say about when she might be release?"

"Probably tomorrow, I just wish the kids didn't have to transfer schools this close to the end of the year." Sam said.

"Yeah, but Rick leaves next week for Twenty-nine Palms. He can't get the kids to and from school." Callen said.

"Right, Twenty-nine Palms. Please tell me you don't honestly believe that bullshit." Joe said looking from Callen to Sam.

"No, not for a minute." Sam said.

They didn't notice the elevator doors open or the footsteps that were running up to them, but when the kids yelled "Papa" they all turned to look. Rick stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Joe.

"Hey you guys, we hoped your Dad was going to bring you to see your Mom." Joe said giving all three of the kid's hugs.

"Where's Nina?" They asked and Joe pointed to the room.

"Nina's asleep and so is Mommy, that's why we're out here talking." Joe told them.

No sooner did he say than and the door opened. "I thought I heard the kids." Carole said with her arms open.

Callen walked over to Connie. "If we put Amy in a wheelchair and tie her in it, can we take her outside or for a walk?"

There was laughter behind him, Dr. Burke. "I don't think you necessarily need to tie her in it, I think some sun and fresh air will do her some good. Connie I need to talk to you after you get Amy situated."

"Everything alright, Doctor?" She asked.

"Oh yes, I just want to discuss Amy's discharge with you." He said and walked to her room.

Hetty returned to the hospital just before six. Rick and the kids were still there in addition to Sam's wife; Michelle and their daughter. The kids were playing quietly in the corner while all of the adults, except Rick sat talking. She was greeted with a road of hellos when she walked into the room. Dr. Burke and Connie followed five minutes later.

"Richard, because you're going to be out of town for three weeks, I'd like to have Amy and the children move into one of our safe houses so we will have an easier time protecting her." She said winking at Amy.

"Are you transferring the kids to a new school?" Rick asked.

"Yes, there is no one who can bring the kids back down to class and back home again. I think it's for the best." She said. "Now Amy, I've talked with Connie and she's going to accompany you to the safe house and stay with you until Dr. Burke feels you can get along on your own."

"I will be coming to see you once a week, while you're there." Dr. Burke assured her.

"Ok, so when are you discharging me and when are we taking the kids out of school?" Amy asked.

"Most likely tomorrow afternoon for your release." He said.

"I will accompany you to the children's school with the proper paperwork so they don't give you trouble." Hetty said.

Amy looked at Rick, who looked defeated. "Are you okay with this Rick?"

"You're taking her to the house in Culver City aren't you?" Rick asked.

There was silence, until Hetty spoke. "How did you find out about that?"

"I found the paperwork in the garage." He said looking at Amy.

"Shit," Amy whispered.

"Let me guess, you're not going to be coming back after I come home from Twenty-nine Palms?"

"I don't know Rick. I guess we need to talk." She said.

"I already know about the house. I've seen the check and I know you're going to file for divorce." He said.

"This isn't how I wanted you to find out, Rick." Amy insisted.

"I guess all of yours and the kids stuff will be moved out by the time I come back?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm just hearing about this for the first time, Rick." She told him almost yelling.

"Cut the bullshit Amy, you were part of the plan. Hell, it's probably your idea." He spat.

"Richard. Amy's telling you the truth. All of this has been arranged via phone between Dr. Burke, Connie and myself. Amy has no choice in this. She either goes to Culver City to recover or she's on her own." Hetty told him.

"Are you going to file for divorce now or wait until June like Callen said?" he asked.

Amy glared at Callen, then softened her stare. "I'm going to concentrate of getting better. After that, I don't know."

"Have the house cleared out by the time I get back from Twenty-nine Palms. I'll give the thirty days notice to housing and clean it. I want the kids every weekend once I get back." He said.

It hit Amy like a ton of bricks. This is what she's wanted for years, yet the finality and his attitude towards it hurt deeply. "I don't know if I'll be recovered enough to get everything packed in three weeks."

"I'm sure Callen will be more than happy to help you move out." He said pain in his eyes.

"This is not how I wanted it to happen, Rick." She said.

"Joe, Carole would you like to take the kids to your hotel tonight?" Rick asked grabbing his sweatshirt, ready to leave.

"Rick, don't do this." Amy pleaded.

"We don't mind taking them, Amy. What time do we need to get them to school in the morning." Her Mom said.

"They have to be there for breakfast by seven forty-five." She said trying to choke back the tears.

Callen felt her heart breaking from across the room. He knew she still loved Rick, in spite of everything he'd done.

"What about clothes for them for tomorrow?" Carole asked.

"Sam or I can follow Rick home and get some clothes for them if you want, Amy." Callen offered.

"I'll go home and pack some clothes for them, then bring them back." Rick told them and walked out the door.

The kids stood there speechless. They knew what just happened, but didn't know what to do. The years of hurt and not feeling loved rushed back and all three were in tears. Amy was just as distraught, looking lost. Callen walked to her side and she buried her face in his chest and cried. Carole and Joe were consoling Kristy, Ricky and Jenny. All the rest could do was watch. Connie and Michelle were in tears and as much as Hetty tried to be stoic, she was well on her way. Dr. Burke quickly left the room to make a phone call and returned, whispering something in Hetty's ear.

Once the tears were dried, a woman appeared in the doorway. Dr. Burke waved her in and introduced her. "This is Dr. Souvenier, she's one of the juvenile psychologists on staff. I asked her to come down to talk with Amy and the kids in case they needed."

"Thank you, Dr. Burke," Amy said trying to manage a smile. "Did you guys want to sit down and talk with her?"

Kristy quickly nodded, looking from Amy to the doctor, Ricky was next to agree. Callen looked around the room and decided that he would leave the room with the hopes that the others followed. Ricky ran after him and begged him to come back in with him. Callen looked to Amy who nodded. The other left the room and walked to the sitting room for a while.

Dr. Souvenier closed the door and took as seat. "Dr. Burke called me down because your mother and father have decided to separate and I guess divorce." She said looking at Amy. "I'm wondering what you kids think about that."

"It's sad." Kristy said crying again. "I knew it was coming, I just thought it would happen differently."

"How did you think it was going to happen, Kristy?" the doctor asked.

"I thought they would talk about it, then we would have a while before we actually left." She said wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"Kristy, Baby. That's what I had planned. I never imagined this would happen. I'm so sorry Honey." Amy said wanting to hold her baby.

"I know Mommy, I know, but it's time for us to go. Daddy's never going to stop doing what he's doing. You can't put yourself through this anymore." She said.

"I'm going to miss Daddy." Ricky cried. "I don't want to live without him."

"Ricky, for right now, you'll see Daddy every weekend." Amy told him.

"I know, but you see what he does all weekend now. He just sits on his ass and does nothing." He cried.

"Ricky, I know you're angry, but you don't need to talk like that." Amy reminded him.

"Mrs. Russell, I think for right now, for the purpose of conveying feelings we should allow him to express himself however he feels." The doctor added.

Amy smiled at Ricky. "Alright, just while we're having this conversation."

"Callen are you going to stay with us when we go to the new house?" Ricky asked looking up at him.

"I'll be over every night, and if I stay, it will be on the couch or the downstairs bedroom." He answered.

"Ok, as long as you keep coming around and spend time with us, I think I'll be okay with this." Ricky smiled.

"Jenny, is there anything you want to say about how you're feeling?" the doctor asked.

"I'm sad. I want Daddy to stay, but I want Callen there too." She said.

After a few more minutes of talking with the kids, she asked if they minded if she talked to Callen and Amy alone. The kids walked down to the sitting room and sat watching TV with everyone else.

"Mrs. Russell, are you and Mr. Callen in a relationship?" she asked.

Callen and Amy looked at each other, Amy finally answered. "There is a mutual interest and attraction, but nothing will happen until after I've filed for divorce or until it's final."

"Have you told the children about this plan?" Dr. Souvenier asked.

"The kids have expressed the want for Callen and me to get together. In the last two or three weeks, Callen has shown them more attention and affection than my husband has in months." Amy explained.

"Really Mr. Callen?" She asked surprised.

"Yes, my partner and I were assigned to protect Amy and the children. We were there every day for the last week or two. We helped get them up in the morning, helped them with their homework. Sam and Ricky played video games. We had fun. I love the kids as much as I love Amy." He smiled, taking Amy's hand.

"Well, that's very good to hear and it seems the kids feel the same way about you. If you need any help with the transition, call me and I'll be more than happy to come up to Culver City to talk to them." She said standing.

Callen walked forward and shook her hand. "Thank you very much for talking with us. I know it helped the kids and Amy a lot."

"You're very welcome Mr. Callen, Mrs. Russell. Good luck to you both and I hope you feel better soon." She said looking from Callen to Amy.

"Thank you, Dr. Souvenier." Amy said reaching as far forward as she could without pain.

"I'm going to go talk to Dr. Burke. I'll have everyone give you two a few minutes before they come back in." she said as she closed the door.

Callen sat on the bed facing Amy, "Are you okay?"

"This isn't how it was supposed to happen. It was supposed to be amicable. I hoped he would help us move, not leave me to do it in three weeks." She said holding his hand.

"I know and I'm sorry. We'll all help you pack everything up at the old house and unpack at the new one." He told her brushing her hair out of her face.

"I don't even know what to leave him." She said

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I know to leave his dresser and all of his stuff, but what about the furniture. I don't know which set of couches to leave him. The pots and pans and dishes and everything else." She cried.

"He's supposed to come back with clothes for the kids. You can ask him then." Callen told her.

"Then there's the bed, do I leave him our mattress and I take Kristy's and get her a new set?" she said and started to continue.

"Amy, stop. It will all work itself out. Remember, you've got the money to buy anything you need." He told her pulling her into his arms.

"I know, but I've got to live on that money until I find a job." She said against his neck.

"I'll help you with anything you need." He told her. "And I know Sam and Michelle will too."

"This is just happening so fast." She said.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I really am, but you have to look at it this way. It's the closing of one door and the opening of the other." He told her.

Amy pulled back to look at him. She smiled. "I know and that's probably the most exciting part. I feel guilty. I'm not really that upset. It hurts, but it's not devastating like I thought it would be."

"I know you're not. You feel like you just had a ton of bricks lifted off your shoulders, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes and it feels wonderful." She said kissing him.

Rick walked into the house and threw his keys across the room. He couldn't believe she was doing this to him. Depending on how long Carole and Joe were there and had the kids, he'd have the time to pull everything he wanted out of the house. He'd have to get a storage unit until he found a place to live. Amy staying in California pretty much shot his ideas of going back to Texas. Now on top of everything else, he'd have to find a good job so he could pay child support to both Maggie and Amy. He felt hopeless and walked to the kitchen to get a beer. The dog was begging to be let out of his crate, so Rick walked over and opened the door.

"Come here, buddy." He said walking over to the couch. "We need to talk, little man. I guess you're going to be going with Amy and the kids, because right now, I don't have anywhere to live." He told the dog who licked his face in response. "She said I can see the kids on the weekends, so I guess that's when I'll see you too. I'm sorry, buddy."

He sat with the dog on his lap for another fifteen minutes before he went up stairs to pack some clothes for the kids. He sat on the edge of Ricky's bed wishing he could've stopped cheating on Amy all those years ago. Rick got up and went to the dresser and pulled all of the short sleeve shirts he could find and put them in the duffle bag he brought in from the garage. He pulled all the clean underwear and socks out and shoved them in the bag too. There were three pairs of jeans hanging in the closet, so Rick pulled them off the hangers and stuffed them in the bag.

Rick followed the same routine as he went from Kristy's room to Jenny's. Collecting all of the clean clothes he could find. Then he walked into the master bedroom and lay on the foot of the bed. The dog was on the bed and next to him within seconds. He looked around at everything they hadn't pawned or sold to make ends meet in the last few months and felt horrible. Everything he held precious was slipping through his fingers. Rick got us and walked to Amy's closet and started going through her clothes. He pulled a pair of sweats from a hanger and a t-shirt from the top shelf, then he walked to her dresser and started going through the doors to find a bra and some underwear for.

As he walked back over to her nightstand, he noticed her I Pod and headphones. He grabbed it and put in the bag too. Rick wondered if she had a pair of shoes, since he didn't know, he grabbed a pair of flip flops.

On his way out the door he stopped and looked at their wedding picture. Rick honestly tried to remember if he ever loved Amy or if he married her because she was pregnant with Kristy. Some time ago, he did love her and then he changed. Why he didn't just leave then, he didn't know. Maybe it was to save face? Amy was such a beautiful girl when they'd met, now she was tired and worn down and it was all because of him. She was long gone a long time ago, he realized. The pain he saw on her face when she found out that Maggie was pregnant with his baby was too much for him. He saw that pain every time he looked at her since. She was better off without him.

It was two hour later that he walked out of the elevator again. He saw everyone back in Amy's room and took a deep breath before he walked in. There was silence when he walked in. Callen was sitting next to Amy on the bed and suddenly stood. The kids ran and hugged him. Everyone else just sat there silent.

Rick dropped the bag and Jenny's car seat next to Joe and just stood there deflated. He cleared his throat before he talked. "Um Amy, I brought you some clothes in case you do get discharged tomorrow. I also brought your I Pod and flip flops."

"Thank you, Rick." Amy said. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, I think we need to." He said emotionlessly.

"We're going to go ahead and take the kids back to the hotel." Carole said standing. "Amy, do you want us to leave your clothes and I Pod here with you?"

"Yes please." She said, watching her Mom fish through the duffle for the clothes and I Pod.

"Sam are you going home tonight?" Callen asked.

"I don't know." He said.

"No, Mr. Hanna, I think you should go home and spend some time with your wife." Hetty told him. "Back here in the morning, though."

Sam and Michelle said good night as they walked out, his daughter asleep in his arms. Hetty followed Carole and Joe out with the kids. Callen looked at the two of them, not knowing if he should leave or stay.

"Look Rick, this isn't how I wanted this to happen. I wanted you involved in it. I wanted you to help us move. I don't know what to take and what to leave." She told him.

"I know, this isn't how I wanted it to happen either. Move what you can in the way of clothes and stuff that you need for the new house. When you're better, we'll go through the house and divide everything up." Rick told her.

"Are you sure, If you want us out in three weeks, we'll be out in three weeks." She told him.

"Well damn Amy, I don't want you out at all, but I know I can't do anything to stop you or change your mind. This is my fault." He said.

"Yes, it is your fault, but I'm not going to punish you for it. Are you okay with just seeing the kids on the weekend? Where are you going to stay while you've got them?" she asked.

"I'll find someplace." He said.

"In light of the fact that Callen's involved, I can't ask you to not bring them around other women, but I would appreciate it if you'd limit their exposure to them." She said.

"I understand. Can we stay at your house on the weekends?" he asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She said.

"How about this, my house isn't far from Amy's I'll stay with Amy's on the weekends, so you and the kids can stay at my house." Callen offered.

"Callen?" Amy asked.

"Are you sure? You would be comfortable with the kids and me staying in your house?" Rick asked.

"Depending on what happens between Amy and I and whether or not you stay in the area, you might be able to move into my house on a more permanent basis." He told Rick.

"Are you serious? As much of an asshole as I've been, you'd to that for me?" Rick asked.

"Not for you, for the kids." He said looking at Amy.

"Ok, here's something else. If you stay in the area, I'll let you have the kids every other week. You wouldn't have to pay child support or alimony." Amy offered.

"You'd do that?" Rick asked shocked.

"Rick, I'm not the bitch you make me out to be." She said with a smile.

"I know you're not. You're just like that because that's what I've made you. I don't know. I'd have to be able to find a job up there. How much would you charge me in rent?" Rick asked.

"Nothing until you can afford it and I'll continue to pay the utilities. We'll even furnish the kid's bedrooms." Callen said sitting on the bed next to Amy.

"After everything I've done, I can't believe you'd help me out like this." He said.

"All of this is contingent on whether or not you go in for treatment and stay with the treatment. The minute you go off or you start acting like you are now, and we'll go back to you just having the kids on the weekend. I'm not joking, Rick. They need stability from all of us, not just Callen and I." she warned.

"I understand. Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome, Rick." She smiled.

"Can I come and see you and the kids this weekend before I leave for Twenty-nine Palms?" Rick asked.

"Yes, I'm sure the kids would like to see you before you leave." She said.

"Thank you." He said. "I'm going to head back to the house and finish packing for the field. Can you give me a call tomorrow if they release you?"

"Yes, of course. Again Rick, I'm sorry about all of this." She told him.

"No, this isn't your fault, it's mine. Try to have a good night." He said as he walked out the door.


	14. Chapter 14

By ten o'clock, Amy was being wheeled out of the hospital. Connie wheeled her down the ramp to Joe and Carole's rented Dodge Grand Caravan. Callen and Sam were already on their way to Amy's house. Hetty was going to follow Amy's parent's over to the school. Once Amy was in the van and the wheelchair was tucked behind the back seat, Connie climbed in and closed the sliding door.

"Dad, do you remember how to get to the school?" Amy asked from the middle row of seats.

"Yes honey, I do." He said turning on to Vandergrift.

"Alright, I was just making sure." She smiled.

"How are you feeling, Amy? Do you want to try to walk into the school or do you want to go in the wheelchair?" Connie asked.

"I don't know we'll see how I feel when we get here." She told her.

Amy allowed Connie to wheel her to the school's office when she and Hetty went in to check out the kids. The school reluctantly allowed them to withdrawal them and made arrangements for their records to be transferred to their new school. When the paperwork was done, the receptionist called their classrooms and had the kids pack up their stuff. Amy asked if they could meet them at their classrooms. The principal personally escorted them to both classes and said goodbye to the kids.

They headed to the house; Kathy was talking with Callen and Sam when they pulled up. Amy carefully got out of the van and walked over to join them.

"They just told me you were leaving." Kathy said giving her a light hug. "Are you coming back after you've recovered?"

"I was planning on moving in June, but we're going to stay up there." She told her.

"We're going to come up before we leave for dinner or something, alright?" She asked.

"That would be great. I know the kids aren't looking forward to leaving all of their friends. I think we're going to wait for everyone to get home before we head up to Culver City." Amy said looking at Sam and Callen.

"Yes, the kids are due out in an hour, right?" Callen asked.

"About that." Amy answered.

"Alright, get in the house and tell them what you want to pack. I'll be over in a little bit after Megan eats lunch, okay?" Kathy asked.

"Sure." She said letting Callen help her into the house.

"Ok, tell us where to go and what to get." Carole said.

"We should start upstairs. There are boxes and tape in the garage." Amy said walking up the stairs.

Within three hours. The kids had most of their toys and clothes packed. Amy was sitting on the bed while Callen and Carole helped pack her clothes. Three boxes later, her dresser and closet were empty. Carole was headed into the bathroom to grab Amy's toiletries.

"Yes, please don't forget that shampoo." Callen said coming up behind Carole.

"Why?" she asked.

"There's one that she uses that I love the smell of." He told her taking the bottles and smelling them.

Carole laughed and grabbed everything else. Callen called downstairs for one of the kids to bring a small box so they could pack up all of their shampoos, conditioners and body washes. Kristy came up the stairs and handed it to Callen before she went into the kid's bathroom to get all of their stuff.

By five, everything was loaded into Sam's Expedition, both of the mini-vans, Callen's Jag and Rick's truck. Hetty had left hours ago to open the house and help Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric get the beds made and shower curtains hung.

With all of the goodbyes said and tears dried, they headed up the five to the four-oh-five. One by one, they backed the vehicles into the curved drive and unloaded everything in the garage. Amy and Carole went into the house and set her great-grandmother's wedding picture proudly on the mantle. Next to it was the picture of Helene, Carole, Amy and her brother and sister two years before Helene's death. Room by room, they went through the house. It was bigger than Amy remembered, where there was once a wall in the kitchen now stood a tiled island with a range set in it.

Callen came in with the coffee maker and asked Amy where she wanted it. Kensi and Deeks brought the food in and started stacking it in the walk-in pantry. From the kitchen, Amy could see into the living room and out onto the screened in porch. She was thankful she would be able to keep an eye on the kids while she cooked. Carole walked her down the hall past the stairs and into the guest room. Hetty had already brought Carole and Joe's bags from the hotel and sat them at the foot of the queen sized bed. To the left of the bed was the bathroom and to the right was the walk-in closet.

There was a closet and half-bath in the hall under the stairs. When all the cars were unloaded, the able bodied carried the boxes up the stairs to the various rooms. Others brought boxes into the kitchen and started unpacking their contents into the cabinets and cupboards. Amy sat at the table in the dining room and supervised. Carole and Hetty sat together and caught up.

Rick told Ricky to collapse the empty boxes and take them to the garage. Instead of walking down the stairs, he rode the boxes straight down, laughing hysterically the whole way. The thunderous crash caused everyone who wasn't in view to come running to make sure he was okay. Sam, Eric and Deeks were laughing and wanted to run up the stairs to try it.

Hetty ordered Chinese food for everyone and then went home, but before she left, she talked to the team. "Callen, you're staying here tonight?" she asked,

"Yes. I'll be on the couch." He told her. "How are we handling tomorrow? Am I staying here or going to the Mission?"

"Ms. Jones, what do the rest of the cases look like?"

"Nothing pressing," she told her before taking a bite of General Tao's Chicken.

"Mr. Callen, we will call you in if we need you. Otherwise you're back in the office on Monday. We will have another agent from our office here with Amy, Connie and Jenny during the day once Carole and Joseph leave."

"Alright." He said.

"Welcome home Amy." Hetty told her before saying good night and leaving. The rest of the team went home as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, would you be more comfortable upstairs?" Connie asked.

"No, you need to be upstairs just in case Amy needs you. Callen, why don't you sleep upstairs instead of on the couch?" Carole said.

"It's up to Amy." He told her.

"I'm used to sleeping with you in the room. I would be nice knowing I'm not in there by myself. I don't know about you sleeping in bed with me." She told him suddenly nervous.

"I can sleep on the floor, if that makes you feel better." He offered.

"No, don't I want you sleeping on the floor, Callen." She said.

"Amy, I sleep on a bedroll at home. I don't own a bed." He told her.

"Are you serious? Your back must hurt so badly when you wake-up." Connie said.

"Callen doesn't sleep very much. When I was up with insomnia, he was always awake." Amy told her.

"Amy, honey, we're going to bed." Carole said from the hallway.

"Alright Mom, I love you." She said getting up from the table to give her mother a hug

"No, stay there, I'll come to you." Carole told her coming into the dining room. "I love you too, honey."

"Connie, I'm going to lock up, do you want to help Amy upstairs?" Callen suggested as he walked to the back door and locked it.

"Sure, come on Amy. I'll help you change into your pajamas." She told her taking her by the elbow.

Within minutes, Callen was up the stairs and walked into the room as Amy pulled her shirt on. "Sorry, I thought you'd be changed already." He said taking a pillow off the bed and dropping it on the floor.

"You can sleep on the bed if you want, Callen." She said pulling the covers back and sitting on the bed.

"No, I'm fine on the floor. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He smiled.

Amy stood up and walked to him. "Callen, get in bed." She told him with a devilish smile.

Callen returned the smile and said. "Yes ma'am."

"That's what I thought." She said smacking his butt as he walked away.

"Really?" he laughed.

"What? We're alone. I've never smacked your ass before." She laughed lightly.

Amy got in bed and Callen threw the covers over her head before he laid down next to her. She violently tossed them off her face and gave him a dirty look.

Callen scooted close to her and lightly put his hand on her stomach. "Let me know if this hurts and I'll find someplace else to put my hand."

"As long as you don't move it up, I think we're okay." She told him.

Callen leaned in and kissed her softly, then said goodnight.

Amy had no trouble falling asleep. Callen was awake at least another hour before he drifted off to sleep. He enjoyed watching Amy sleep. Listening to her rhythmic breathing and feeling her chest rise and fall made his inability to fall asleep worthwhile.

Connie came in at two to give Amy a pain pill and loved seeing them cuddled together. She felt bad waking them since they were sleeping so soundly, but she wanted to keep the meds in her system so the pain didn't get ahead of her.

Amy had set her alarm for six so she could get the kids up. When she woke, Callen wasn't in bed and the smell of fresh brewed coffee floated up the stairs. Slowly, she got herself out of bed and headed for the door to get the kids up. Callen was coming up the stairs and told he'd already gotten Kristy and Ricky up. Connie was coming out of the bathroom with a towel around her head and said good morning. Callen helped her down the stairs and got her seated at the table. Carole was making scrambled eggs for the kids. Callen got Amy a cup of coffee and gave her a brief kiss as he delivered it to her. Carole saw the kiss and smiled at them. Thankful Amy had finally found a man who truly loved her and loved the kids too.

After the kids ate breakfast, Amy went upstairs to get dressed so she could take the kids to the school and get them registered. Callen came up as she was trying to pull up her jeans. "You should've asked for help."

"I thought I could get it on my own." She told him smiling at him as he helped her bring the pants to her waist. Once she'd zipped and buttoned them, he pulled her to him and kissed her long and hard.

"I love you." He told her.

"I love you too, Callen." She said kissing his chest.

Carole walked in and apologized for interrupting, then said the kids were in the van and ready to head to the school. Callen helped Amy down the stairs and grabbed the kids' packets from the counter on the way out. It was odd driving the mini-van, after driving the Jag for so long. The school was three blocks down from Amy's street; two from his street. Carole got the wheelchair out of the back and wheeled it to the passenger side so Amy didn't have to go far. Once everyone was out of the van, Callen closed the doors with the remote and pushed Amy to the office.

Once the kids were register and assigned to their teachers, the principal walked them around the school showing them the cafeteria, library and their classrooms. The kids gave their goodbyes and were off to their classrooms. Callen wheeled Amy back out to the van while the principal talked to them about the school, which had just earned the title of a California Distinguished School. He assured Amy and Callen that the kids would receive the same services there as they had at their school on base. She thanked him for the tour and his time and headed back to the van.

Amy was due another pain pill a half-hour after they got back to the house. She finished her coffee and lay on the couch for a while.

Callen was on the phone with Sam in the kitchen and Jenny was in the living room watching TV. Joe and Carole were planning the menu for the rest of the week. When Callen finished his conversation, he asked Joe and Carole if they needed any help. When they didn't he went to check on Amy. She was asleep, so he leaned over the back of the couch and kissed her temple. The dog was curled up into Amy's stomach, when he saw Callen he immediately rolled over and begged for a belly rub. Callen was more than happy to oblige. Amy stirred but didn't wake up.

"Callen," Joe called from the back door. "Have you checked out the garage and sheds in the backyard?"

Callen stepped away from the couch and walked into the kitchen. "No I haven't why?"

"I was just wondering you want to check it out with me?" Joe asked as Callen walked towards the door.

"Has Amy seen the screened in patio yet?" Callen asked as they walked through and out into the back yard.

"She's seen it, but hasn't been out here yet." Joe said walking towards the large garage-looking structure.

He pulled up the sliding door and was shocked by what he found staring back at them. Joe looked at Callen who stood perplexed. They walked in and started walking around the car. Joe knew Amy was going to be ecstatic. Callen pulled an envelope from under the windshield wiper and recognized the handwriting. He handed it to Joe.

"Should we open it?" Joe asked.

"It's Hetty's writing." Callen told him.

"Hey Carole, can you come here for a minute?" he called into the house.

She walked out of the patio with Jenny in toe and walked over to them. "Oh my gosh, who's car is that?"

"From the letter that Callen found on the windshield, I'm guessing its Amy's. She's going to die when she sees this." Joe said

"I had no idea Amy liked Mustang's." Callen commented.

"Seriously, she never told you? I had a Mustang when the kids were small. Amy was the one who got the most upset when I sold it about fifteen years ago. Our son finally got himself a brand new Mustang in two thousand one. This thing is beautiful." Joe said walking around the car.

"Did you guys see the license plates? It says I CANDIE." Carole laughed.

"Yeah, it's candy-apple red. Should I go wake-up Amy?" Callen asked.

Joe and Carole looked at each other. "Yes, please. She won't be upset once she sees this."

Callen walked around the couch and crouched next to Amy. "Amy, I need you to wake up. There's something you need to see in the back yard."

Amy's eyes slowly opened and she looked confused. "Something in the backyard?"

"Yes, come on." He said helping her to her feet and out to the yard.

Amy was in total disbelief. Before her sat a pristinely restored sixty-six Ford Mustang, candy-apple red just like she always wanted. "Where did this come from?"

Joe handed her the letter. "Callen says its Hetty's writing."

She tore open the envelope and found a short letter and a set of keys. "I can't believe this. Nina remembered how much I love your Mustang, Dad. She bought this for me for my sixteenth birthday, but it wasn't finished and she'd died before she could give it to me."

"Crank her up; let's see what she sounds like." Joe said beaming.

Amy sat in the driver's seat and started the car, the engine rumbled to life. She was so happy, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, remembering the sound and smell of her father's Mustang. She couldn't help but cry. Callen reached around and popped the hood. Joe and Callen stood there looking at the engine. Amy knew nothing about engines, so she stood back listening to them.

"Callen, why don't you take Amy for a ride?" Joe said smiling at them.

Amy climbed into the passenger seats and Callen in the driver's seat. Joe, Carole and Jenny stood back as he pulled the car out of the garage. It was a warm, sunny day, so Callen put the top down and pulled out of the back gate and into the alley. When they got to the main street, Callen gave it some gas. Amy loved hearing the tires squealing and the smell of burnt rubber. He saw Sam a few cars back and took off down the road. By the time they got back to the house, Sam was waiting in the backyard for them.

Amy had a huge smile on her face when she got out; she ran to her parents and gave them a huge hug. Jenny ran over, got in the car and started jumping around in the back seat. Callen popped the hood again, so Sam could check out the engine.

"Where did this come from?" Sam asked with a smile.

"It was in the garage back here." Callen told him.

"Damn. Whoever did the restoration did a great job." He said looking around the car.

"What do you think of my baby?" Amy asked.

"I like. I wouldn't let Callen drive it too much. He has a tendency of getting back windows shot out of every vehicle but his own." He laughed.

Callen shook his head and said. "I gave you half of the money for you window, Sam. Get over it."

"I can't wait to be able to drive again." Amy said excitedly.

"Where did it come from?" Sam asked.

"Hetty. The note said that my grandmother had bought the car for my sixteenth birthday, but if wasn't finished and then she died before she could give it to me. Hetty's had it the whole time." She told him.

"Do you think this is what was under the cover when we had the shootout at her house?" Sam asked.

"Probably, thank God it didn't get hit." Callen said.

"You guys had a shootout at Hetty's house?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was a couple years ago," Sam answered.

"So what's up, Sam?" Callen asked.

"Oh, Hetty asked me to come over and check on you guys, see if there's anything you need." He said.

"We were just on the phone, why didn't you mention you were coming by?" Callen asked.

Sam motioned him over to the side. Amy took the hint and followed Jenny and her parents into the house. Sam listened for the door to close before he began. "Awan's transfer was attacked. They were driving him from Pendleton to March Air Force base for the flight to Gitmo."

"Did they get him?" Callen asked.

"Everyone's dead, including Awan." He told him.

"Damn it. How did they know?" Callen asked.

"Nell and Eric got a hold of some new Intel, but it was too late. Kahn put out a mass communication asking for someone to take Awan out. He had everything. The vehicle plates, the number of armed guards with him, the route they were taking, everything." Sam said.

Callen sighed. "Are we any closer to finding out whom this Kahn is and where the hell he is?"

"Nell and Eric are still working on it." Sam told him.

"Was there any mention of Amy or Kathy in the communication?" Callen asked worried that the attempts on Amy's life would resume.

"Not a word about them, but he did say that all previous plans have been scrapped. I think Hetty was right, that Awan was just coming after Amy for the fun of it." Sam said still seeing the troubled look on his partners face. "G, I think things are going to calm down now. Breathe."

"I still think we should keep our guards up and keep listening to the chatter. I won't feel that Amy and the kids are safe until we have Kahn." He told Sam.

"I agree." Sam said.

"What are the other cases looking like?" Callen asked.

"A couple murder cases, some stolen weapons, little stuff." Sam said.

Callen laughed, "Little to us, but huge to the average person. Does Hetty want me back in the office sooner than Monday?"

"She hasn't said anything. I think she's as worried about Amy as the rest of us are." He said. "Nell and Eric are working on getting the background information on all of the current cases. Kensi and Deeks are working on the leads. We're doing okay without you for the time being."

"Send me everything you guys have so far on these cases and I'll do what I can from here." Callen said motioning towards the house.

"The files are on the dining room table." Sam smiled.

"Thank you. Let's go have a look at them." He said leading Sam back into the house.

They spent the afternoon sitting at the table making phone calls and Skyping Nell and Eric in Ops. Occasionally, Amy or Jenny would wander in to check on them. Callen looked flustered by the time the kids got home from school. His mood and facial expression lightened when they walked in the house.

"Hey, how was school?" he asked them closing the folders that were lying open on the table and clearing a space for them to sit and do their homework.

"It was good. I made a couple new friends." Kristy said with a smile. "They aren't Lauren or Makayla, but they're friends just the same."

"That's very good," he said putting his arm around her, giving her a hug. "How about you Ricky?"

Ricky had a scowl on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. "I hate this school. My teacher is so mean."

"What happened?" Amy asked walking into the dining room.

"My teacher got mad at me because I couldn't divide some numbers. He made me feel so stupid. I don't want to go back there." He said throwing his backpack on the floor.

"Well, hopefully tomorrow is a better day." Sam told him with a smile.

"I doubt it." Ricky spat.

"What kind of homework do you have?" Callen asked picking up his backpack.

"Math, language arts, spelling and reading." Ricky told him.

"Can I do my homework upstairs?" Kristy asked.

"Yes honey, come back down if you need any help." Amy told her.

"I will." She said before she disappeared up the stairs.

Rick sat at the table and pulled out his three ring binder. "Mom, I have to do definitions, would write them out for me so I can copy them?"

"Sure, you're going to have to start doing this on your own." She told him.

Ricky slapped his hands on the table. "I hate doing it, it's so stupid. I don't learn anything by doing it."

"Do you know how to use a dictionary?" Sam asked.

"No and I don't want to learn how." Ricky said gruffly.

Sam looked at Amy and smiled. "How about this, you and I will look up your definitions it will be easy. I promise."

"No, it's pointless and boring." Rick said.

"I'll play Call of Duty with you after you finish your homework." Sam said knowing Ricky would jump at the chance to play the game with Sam again.

"Ok, let do this!" Ricky yelled.

After homework was done, Sam and Ricky went into the living room to play the game. Amy had wandered out to the patio for a cigarette. Callen found her and sat down next to her. They sat there silent for a few minutes, just enjoying the warm weather. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"I enjoyed last night." He told her smiling.

"It was nice, cuddling up to you." She told him. "I take it by your frustration before the kids got home that the new cases are complicated?"

"It's just hard to move onto a new case without putting this one to bed." He told her. "Something happened while Awan was being transferred."

Amy had a scared look on her face when she asked her next question. "He didn't get away did he?"

Callen cleared his throat. "No, he's dead."

"Damn it." Amy said. "Does Kathy know yet?"

"I doubt it. Sam didn't mention telling her." He told her.

"So now what?" she asked.

"Well, he's not going to be punished for his crimes." Callen said.

"I hope he suffered before he died a very slow death." She said.

Callen was shocked by what she'd just said. "What?"

"Sorry, he needed to pay for what he did to all those people. Now he's not going to. The only justice would be for him to die a very slow and painful death." She said with an awkward smile.

"I thought that's what you said, but I wasn't sure. I've never heard you be so hateful and vindictive." He said smiling at her. "It's kind of cute."

"Cute? Wow, you're a strange one." She laughed.

Callen noticed that she didn't wince or grimace in pain. "Did that hurt?"

"No, not really, I'm feeling pretty good. Connie has been pushing my pain meds back, trying to wean me off of them. Instead of every six hours, we're going every seven." She told him.

"Good, I'm glad you're doing do well. Do you know what your parent's are planning for dinner, I'm getting hungry." He asked.

"Let's go see." She said standing slowly.

As they set foot in the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Jenny ran to answer it. She was elated when Michelle and her daughter were there. Carole had Amy's biggest stock pot on the stove and there were three boxes of rigatoni on the counter.

"I take it we're having baked rigatoni for dinner?" she asked.

"I don't know who all are going to be here for dinner and it's the best way to feel a lot of people." Carole said pulling a slightly smaller pot out of the cabinet and set it on the stove.

"Can I help with anything?" She asked as her mother pulled three packages of Italian sausage from the refrigerator.

"No, I think between your father and I we can get it done. I'm going to crumble-fry this sausage and then I should be able to assemble it. I'm not going to bake it though. Does everyone like salami?" she said.

"I don't know, let me ask." Amy said going into Sam, Michelle and Callen.

All three nodded. Ricky stood and asked if they were having salami and cream cheese rolls. He was upset when she told them they weren't. Michelle and Callen followed her back into the kitchen and sat at the table with her. Dinner smelled so good.

"Amy, you can help me, do you want to cut up the salami for me?" Carole asked, knowing Amy needed to feel useful.

Happy to be doing something other than just sit there, Amy agreed. She had to threaten to cut off Callen's fingers when he kept stealing slices of the salami. Everyone enjoyed watching the banter between the two of them. About a half hour later, Kensi and Deeks arrived, fifteen minutes after came Rick.

The night ended without a problem, the kids were sound asleep, so Callen and Amy went up to bed. They talked for a while until the pain medication kicked in and Amy fell asleep.

The next morning, Amy woke to find Callen not in bed again. She heard laughter down the hall and smiled as she walked into Ricky's room. Callen had him pinned to the bed tickling him with the dog snapping at his hands. Kristy was coming out of the bathroom like she did every morning at the old house. Amy knew things were going to be okay. Callen noticed she was standing in the doorway and stopped playing with Ricky. He told him to get up and come down for breakfast before walking Amy downstairs. Connie was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and smiled at them. Carole was making pancakes and Joe was watching the new. All was right in her world this morning.

After the kids left for school, Amy was getting her second cup of coffee when her Mom came to the table. "Your father and I were going to go to the cemetery to see grandma, did you want to come with us?"

It had been years since she'd seen her great-grandmother grave. "Yes, that would be nice. I wonder if that cross is still stuck in the ground next to her head stone."

"Oh, you did that so long ago; I doubt it's still there." Carole said.

"Callen, did you want to go to the cemetery with us?" Amy called into the living room.

"Sure. Then I'll treat everyone to lunch." He said smiling.

"Sounds like a plan, then." Carole said.

"I'm going to go up and shower if you guys don't mind." Amy said standing and stretching.

"Do you need help?" Connie asked.

"No, I should be okay." Amy told her and headed upstairs.

Callen watched her disappear up the stairs and around the corner. He wanted to follow, but with everyone in the house, he thought better of it. Within minutes, the scent of the shampoo he loved so much wafted down the stairs and he smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, Amy came down the stairs in a pair of green capris and a black tank top. He got herself some ice water and sat at the table next to him. He noticed a tattoo on her left shoulder.

"I've never seen that before." He said

"I've never worn a tank top around you before." She smiled.

"What is Team Timmy?" he asked.

"A friend of ours was killed in Jacksonville last year. Rick, his widow, her friend I all went and got tattoos as a memorial." She told him.

"Do you have any others?" he asked.

"Yes, she got a wild hair up her ass on her twenty-sixth birthday and got Bitch tattooed on her ankle." Carole said as she walked into the dining room.

Callen laughed and asked to see it. Amy pushed back from the table and swung her right on his lap. He shook his head and asked why she chose that over everything else she could've possible gotten.

"At one point in time Amy was a bitch." Carole said. "She's mellowed with age, but I still wouldn't piss her off. That side of her rears its head from time to time."

"Is there anything else you should warn me about?" he asked Carole.

"Not that I'll tell you about. Everything else you need to learn on your own." She laughed, patting his hand.

Callen didn't know if he should be excited or scared.

The sun was glistening off the man-made lake at the cemetery. They drove to the top of the hill and walked to Helene's grave. Amy crouched down and laid the flowers she'd bought below her headstone. With her finger, she felt along the outside of the headstone along the bottom. To her surprise, it was still there. Tears filled her eyes, she kissed her fingertips and touched Helene's name before she stood back up. She expected to see Callen when she turned around, but he was standing by the lake with flowers in his hand. Amy let her parent's know where she was going and followed the path towards him.

He didn't hear her come up behind him and didn't know she was there until she laced her finger through his. They stood there silent for a few minutes before she talked to him. "Why does the headstone say Hannah and not Amy?"

"Amy and Hannah were together when Amy died. Hannah assumed my sister's identity and I've never had the heart to change it. I know it's her." He said looking over at her.

Callen bent down and laid the flowers at the base of the headstone. He turned to Amy and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead.

"Callen, Hetty mentioned that another agent was killed last year, a Lauren Hunter. Is she buried here?" She asked looking up at him.

"How do you know Hunter?" he asked.

"We met her on one of our last visits with my great-grandmother. My brother had a huge crush on her." She laughed.

"Yeah, Hetty had her buried over there." He pointed and walked her in that direction.

There were fresh flowers on her grave, Amy and Callen both knew Hetty had been there recently. Carole, Joe and Jenny joined them. Carole asked who Lauren was and was visibly shaken when Amy told her.

The week ended quietly and Amy's parents returned to Northern California. Within two weeks, Connie's services were no long needed. Life had settled into a comfortable routine. Callen was there in the mornings to help get the kids up and ready for school while Amy made breakfast. They walked themselves to school and Callen headed to work. He would return in time to help get dinner in the table, goof off with the kids and then help get them in bed. There were nights when Callen didn't get home before the kids went to bed, so he went in and said good night, then Amy would reheat his dinner and she'd sit with him while he ate. While he couldn't give her all the details of the cases he worked, he did tell her about them. Callen enjoyed the idea of having someone to come home to every night. On rare nights when he got home really late, he would just go to his own house and then would come over in the morning to help.

It was early Friday afternoon; two weeks later; when Callen got home early. He hung his keys on the hook as he closed the door quietly behind him. The dog hadn't noticed he was there. He heard Jenny playing in the backyard and saw Amy on the patio from the kitchen window. Callen was pleased to see that she was painting. It was a lakeside cabin scene with two chairs on the deck looking out on the water and the horizon. She'd hung the other paintings she'd done over the fireplace and in the hallway. Quietly, he walked up behind her and kissed her neck.

"I heard you pull up." She said smiling up at him. "What are you doing here so early?"

"We wrapped up the case and finished the reports, so Hetty let us go home early. How was your day?" he asked pulling a chair up behind the stool she was sitting on.

"It wasn't a bad day. It was quite good in fact."She said leaning into him.

"Really? What made it so good?" he asked wrapping his arms around her.

"I met with a lawyer this morning." She said smiling widely.

"Really… and?" he said with anticipation.

"Rick signed the divorce papers. The divorce will be final in six months." She told him.

"That's what, November?" he asked.

"Yes, November seventeenth to be exact." She smiled. "And I've been told that it's okay to start dating."

"Ah, perfect timing." He smiled nuzzling her ear.

"Why do you say that?" she asked turning around to face him.

"Well, Kensi and Nell said they'd watch the kids tonight so you and I could go out to dinner." He told her kissing her.

"Dinner, do you know how long it's been since I've been out to dinner with a man?" she asked. "But I thought we were going down to the base tonight?"

"We can go down tomorrow, it will be easier without the kids." He told her.

Rick's been back for a week, we need to start getting the stuff out of the house." She said.

"I know, we will. I just want to take you out tonight." He told her.

The kids came home and immediately asked to go outside. Callen and Amy told them to be back in by five. The house was quiet; Callen led Amy up the stairs to the bedroom. He walked to the closet and slid open the door and pulled out a black dress.

"I want you to wear this tonight." He said.

"Where did this come from?" She asked smiling at the simple, but pretty dress.

"I picked it up a couple days ago." He told her pulling her to him and kissing her.

Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He backed her to the bed and laid her back, kissing her the entire time. Her nails were digging into his back as he trailed kisses down her neck to her collar bone. She kissed his forehead and temple. Callen lay next to her and pulled her on top of him, kissing her again. Amy sat up and straddled him, looking down at him lovingly. He pulled her mouth back to his. Callen ran his hands down her back to her hips, feeling for the bottom of her shirt. Once his hands found it, he touched her skin and traced the line of her spine, stopping at the clasp for her bra.

He stopped for a moment waiting for a sign, permission for him to stop or proceed. Amy kissed him again, letting out tiny sighs. She rolled onto her back and pulled him with her. With his hands suddenly on her stomach, he ever so lightly brushed her incision with his fingertips. Amy giggled, and pushed his hand away. He leaned on his elbow looking down at her, then lifted her shirt and delivered soft kisses across the think pink line. She arched her back to meet him.

Callen kissed the top of her left breast above her bra and then moved to the right. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Callen was about to pull the strap of her bra down her shoulder when the screen door slammed and a child screamed uncontrollably. Then Kristy screamed for them. In a flash, Callen and Amy were down the stairs. Jenny was sitting in the entry with blood streaming down her right knee.

Callen ran to the hall closet and got the first aid kit. Amy scooped her up and ran over to the kitchen sink. She pulled half of the roll of paper towels and ran them under the faucet. Ringing them out, she quickly, but carefully started wiping the blood away from the wound.

"What happened Kristy?" she asked.

"She was riding her scooter and fell off. Is she okay?" she said.

"I know it hurts Jenny, you have to stay still so I can clean it. Callen, can you reach into that cabinet," she said pointing with the bloody paper towel wad. "And get the peroxide down?"

Amy quickly took off Jenny's shoes and socks and swung her legs into the sink. Callen got the bottle of peroxide down, opened it and handed it to her. She grabbed it and poured some of it on the wound. Jenny let out a blood curdling scream and fought to get away. Callen wrapped her in his arms and told her it was going to be alright. Amy pulled the spray nozzle off the faucet and ran cool water over the scrape. When the peroxide was washed away, she poured more on Jenny's knee. She screamed into Callen's shoulder and kicked.

"I'm sorry Baby, I know it hurts, I need to make sure there's no dirt in it." She told Jenny trying to console her. "Callen, there's gravel in it. Hold on to her, I'm going to have to get it out so it doesn't get infected.

Amy rummaged through the first aid kit for the tweezers. One by one, Amy picked out one piece after the other, pouring peroxide and water over her knee every few minutes. Jenny screamed again, when Amy dug the tweezers deep in one of the scrapes to get out a large piece of sand or something.

They heard footsteps run in behind them, Callen turned to see Nell and Eric behind them. "It's okay; we're just cleaning out a scrape." Callen told them as Jenny squirmed in his arms.

"Just a couple more, Baby, I'm almost done." She said picking two more pieces out of her daughter's knee. " Okay, a little more peroxide and then I'll get the betadine she told her."

"Where is it? I'll get it." Nell said

"In the hall closet under the stairs, bring a couple cotton balls too, please." She said.

Jenny cried out again as Amy poured a tiny bit more peroxide on the scrape, and then rinsed it with water. Nell returned with the Betadine and a handful of cotton balls. Amy took them and opened the brown solution and squirted some onto a cotton ball. She dabbed the wound with the cotton ball, then let it air dry before she put antibiotic ointment and a large bandage on her knee. She hugged Jenny tight and apologized for hurting her. Amy reached up in to the cupboard and pulled a sucker from the bag and gave it to her brave patient. Callen carried her into the living room, sat her on the couch and turned cartoons on for her.

Amy turned back to the sink, wiping the blood off the counter and out of the sink. Once she threw the used cotton balls, bloody paper towels and bandage wrappers in the trash, she poured peroxide on the bloody sock and rinsed it under warm water. Callen was impressed to see the stained sock white again.

"Do you want me to throw those in the washer?" Callen asked.

"Yes please." She said, pulling a bottle of bleach cleaner from under the sink. She sprayed the counter down and grabbed a scratch pad to scrub the counter with.

Nell and Eric watched her scrub and rinse the counter. "Sorry to have scared you."

"Oh no, it's okay. Kids are always more dramatic then they need to be." Nell said.

"So where's Kensi?" Callen asked coming back in from the garage.

"She said she'd be a little late, so Eric decided to come over." Nell explained.

"I brought all six of the Star Wars movies." Eric announced.

"Oh you just made the kids' night." Amy said smiling. "I need to put the frozen pizzas in the over, Callen do you want to call the older two in?"

"Sure." He said walking to the door.

"So where are you going for dinner tonight?" Nell asked.

"I have no clue. I didn't even know we were going out until he told me when he got home. He bought me a dress and everything." She told her.

"From what Callen said, I assumed you knew about it. He asked Kensi and me to watch the kids on Monday." Nell said.

The kids came in the house and washed their hands. Eric high-fived Ricky and showed them the movies. They insisted that they start the movies now instead of later. Callen came back in the house with a garment bag and took it to the guest bedroom.

"I'm going to shower quickly. Or reservation is for six thirty." He kissed her cheek and walked off to the guest room again.

"I guess that means I should go get ready too." She said. "Would you mind getting the pizzas in the oven?"

"No, I don't. Go get ready. Call me if you need anything." Nell said.

Amy showered quickly, styled her hair and did her make-up. Then looking at the clock, she put the dress on and found two pairs of heels. She didn't know which to wear, so she called for Nell. Nell came up the stairs to find Amy at the top with one red heel and one black heel. "Which one?"

"I like the red." She said smiling at how good Amy looked. "You look great."

"Thank you. I can't believe the dress he bought fits so well." Amy commented running back into her room for the matching shoe. She grabbed her evening bag and put her ID, debit card and cash in it, then walked down the stairs. Callen was waiting at the base of the stairs for her. She could hear Nell telling him how good she looked. Amy had to laugh when Callen stopped mid-sentence to watch her. The smile she saw on his face was like none she'd ever seen before, she knew he like what he saw.

"Wow," he stammered. "You look…. Wow"

"Thank you." She said taking his hand. "You bought the dress, so you should be thanking yourself"

"Yes, but it's on you. You're the one that's making it look so good." He told her.

They kissed the kids goodnight and thanked Nell and Eric then were out the door. Callen walked her over to the passenger side of the Jag and helped her in. Then he walked back around to the driver's side and got in. "You look so good, Amy."

"You sound surprised." She said.

He started the car and pulled out of the driveway before he spoke again. "I knew you were going to look good, I just didn't think you'd look that damn good. Let's just put it this way, I'm happy we're going to be in public, otherwise, I'd have that dress off you in a heartbeat and we'd finish what we started before Jenny got hurt."

Amy just smiled.

Callen pulled up to the curb of a very elegant, world renowned, five-star restaurant. The valet opened her door and helped her out of the car. Callen was by her side taking her hand as the younger man took the keys. Another well dressed young man held the door open for them. Callen walked her to the hostess and gave her his name.

"Oh yes, Mr. Callen. Right on time." She said taking two menus from the stack. "Charles, can you show Mr. Callen and his date to table one, please?"

The man in a tuxedo walked them through the dining room to, a table in the corner with three votive candles in crystal holders on it. There was a bouquet of lilies waiting for her, which the gentleman seating them handed her once she was sitting. Callen ordered a bottle of champagne before the man walked away.

"I've never been to a restaurant this nice before. Why did you have to choose one so nice for our first date?" she asked.

Callen saw a waiter walking towards them with a bottle of champagne. "Because I love you." He smiled.

The waiter popped the cork and poured some in a flute for Callen's approval. Once he gave it, the waiter filled both flutes. As he walked away, Callen picked up his flute and offered a toast. "To the strongest, most stubborn woman I've ever met. I love you more than you'll ever know."

Amy raised her flute and their glasses met with a clink. She smiled and brought it to her lips. Normally, she didn't drink white wine due to it being too bitter and dry for her liking. However, this was smooth and sweet. A much more tolerable libation than she was used to and thus she suspected more expensive.

Callen ordered for the both of them and asked for another bottle of champagne as he emptied the remnants of the bottle between their glasses. Almost immediately, the waiter returned with another bottle and by the time their dinners arrived, the second bottle was half-empty.

"Callen, we need to slow down on the alcohol, we do need to get home tonight." She reminded him.

"I know, I also know that Nell and Kensi are spending the night tonight in case we drink too much and have to get a hotel for the night." He smiled slyly.

"Ah ha," she said tipping her glass to him. "I see how your mind works."

When the waiter returned to clear their plates and offer dessert, Callen was more than ready to get Amy out of there and somewhere a little more private. He gave his card to the waiter and asked for a third bottle of champagne for them to take with them. The waiter nodded and walked away.

"I love the décor." Amy told him. "It's so warm in here with the soft lighting and dark paneling. We will have to come back sometime."

"We will, don't worry." He assured her.

Once Callen signed the sales slip, received his receipt and the bottle of champagne, he escorted Amy out to the street. It was only a little after eight, Callen handed the valet his ticket and they waited for the Jag. Once they were both in and seat belted, Callen headed for the coast. He pulled an empty spot by the beach; he took off his jacket and shoes. Amy slipped off her heels and took has hand. He set the alarm on the Jag and they walked down the beach towards the water. Amy hadn't noticed that Callen had pulled something from the backseat until they were about ten yards from the waves and he laid out a blanket and asked her to sit with him.

They sat on the beach listening to the waves lap against the sand. In the distance, they could hear the bark of a sea lion. It was quiet and peaceful and so romantic. Callen had his arm around her softly talking. Amy kissed him. Never in her twelve years of marriage to Rick did he show her a night like this, it was perfect. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him but found herself at a loss for words. Callen could see her distress.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Absolutely nothing, this has been a perfect night. I'm trying to tell you how much this night and everything you've done for me means to me, but there aren't words big enough or meaningful enough." She smiled.

"I know how you feel. I've been trying to do the same thing all night." He smiled.

There was a long silence between them as they both tried to find the words that would convey their feelings. Finally Callen spoke. "Marry me, Amy."

She looked at him for a moment. "I'm not even divorced yet."

"We can have a long engagement. I just want to know that you'll forever be mine." He said and pulled a velvet box from his pocket.

"No Callen, don't ruin the night." She pleaded.

"Amy, calm down, it's not an engagement ring. I just want you to think about it." He told her and opened the box.

Amy looked at the contents with one eye closed.

"Your Mom said you had to sell all of your jewelry to pay the bills. She mentioned your Mother's ring was one of the things you had to sell. Consider this a late Mother's Day present." He told her.

Amy began to cry, both from relief and joy. "I can't believe you did this. It's beautiful."

Callen took the ring from the box and slipped it on her right hand, it was a perfect fit. "I'm sorry I didn't have it for you last week, I didn't order it enough time to get it by Mother's Day. The stones are right; Ruby for Kristy, Citrine for Ricky and an Aquamarine for Jenny?"

"It's perfect, Callen. Thank you so much." She said and kissed him.

"Little by little, I'll replace everything you had to sell. I know the sentiment behind it will be different than the original pieces, but they're given with the utmost love." He told her.

"God, I love you, Callen." She said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you too, Amy. I'm serious; I want you to think about my question. I'm going to be asking you again sometime and I want an answer." He told her standing and pulling her to her feet. "It's almost eleven, we should probably head home, make sure the kids don't have Nell and Kensi or Eric tied up in a corner or roasting them over a roaring fire."

"Oh you know them too well." She said kissing him. "I love you so much, Callen."

"I love you too." He said picking up the blanket, shaking off the sand and taking her hand.

On the drive home, Amy could help but admire the ring. Callen was grinning from ear to ear every time he looked at her. He knew this was the woman he was meant to spend the rest of his days with. He couldn't wait to make her his forever. When they pulled into the driveway, all the lights were still on. Eric met them at the door.

"You're still alive." Amy laughed.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked.

"We envisioned coming home to you guys tied up being roasted over an open fire." Callen laughed, closing the door behind them.

"No, we've had a great time. They're still awake. We have three and a half more movies left to watch." He told them.

"So you guys are trying to pull an all-nighter, huh?" Amy said from behind the couch.

The kids jumped up and gave both Callen and Amy hugs. "Sit down and watch with us?" the kids begged.

"Alright, let us go change and we'll watch the movies with you guys. Nell, Eric you guys don't have to stay." Amy told them.

"And miss the rest of the movies and them acting them out, no way. We've already had three light saber fights." Nell laughed, waving Ricky's light saber through the air making it whoosh and buzz. Jenny turned on her purple light saber and started dueling with Nell. Jenny used the force and Nell fell backwards.

Callen and Amy laughed all the way up the stairs. As soon as they were in the master bedroom, Callen grabbed her and kicked the closed. He led her over to the bed and sat down, bringing her to him. They kissed while his fingers worked the zipper at the back of her dress, kissing her body as the dress slipped to her ankles. She pulled him to her and kissing him deeply. The more they kissed and the more they touched each other, the more things were getting out of control. If they didn't stop, Callen knew it wouldn't happen the way he want it to, but he wanted her so badly and by the hunger in her kisses, she wanted him too.

Finally he pushed her away, and looked in her eyes, "This isn't how I want our first time to happen. I don't want it to be rushed. Let's change and go down stairs with the kids."

Amy kissed him again and unbuttoned his shirt, peeling it off his shoulders. "I know you're right. I just…" her mouth found his again.

Callen stood and shook the shirt off his arms and wrapped himself around her. He couldn't get close enough to her. Having her bare skin on his was driving him mad. Amy ran her hands down his bare chest and stopped one of the many scars that riddled his body. She kissed the flesh, sending sensations pumping through his body as fast as his heart pumped his blood. He wrapped his hands around her arms and pushed her away.

With the look of torrid lust in her eyes, she reached for him, touching the scar again. "I'm sorry."

"Let's change and go downstairs. The kids are with Rick this weekend, we'll have the house to ourselves." He smiled.

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	15. Chapter 15

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The kids were passed out by two in the morning. Callen and Eric took them up the stairs to their rooms. Eric slept on the couch so Nell could have the bed in the spare bedroom. Callen and Amy locked up and went upstairs to bed. With the combinations of the late hour and the champagne, they fell right to sleep. Callen rolled over at seven expecting to find Amy next to him, but found the dog instead. He smelled coffee.

He quietly came down the stairs and found Amy making pancakes while Eric and Nell sat on the other side of the island. They all greeted him when he walked into the kitchen. He gave Amy a kiss before getting a mug from the cupboard to make himself a cup of coffee. Instead of the Krueg, the large coffee maker sat with a full pot in the carafe.

Once his coffee was to his liking, he turned around. "Are these the famous caramel apple pancakes the kids keep raving about?"

"This would be them." She smiled offering him one.

He took one and thought he'd died, it was so good. One by one, the kids came downstairs to eat. "Come on you guys, your Dad will be here soon to get you." She told them.

After the kids were done eating, they went back upstairs to get dressed. "What are you two going to do today without the kids here?" Nell asked.

"We're going down to the base to bring another load of stuff back up." Callen said.

"Did you guys want some help?" Eric asked.

"Sure, if you've got nothing else planned." Callen said. "What time are we picking up the truck?

"We have to pick it up by noon or we lose the reservation and it has to be back by five or we pay for an extra day." Amy told him.

"We'll have it back by five, don't worry." He laughed, kissing her.

"So you guys had a nice time last night?" Nell asked.

"Oh, I haven't had a night like last night ever. It was perfect. We went to the beach after dinner. Then this one pulls out a ring box." She said poking Callen in the stomach.

"What?" Nell asked nearly choking on her coffee.

"It was my Mother's Day present." Amy said showing her the ring.

"Oh, I thought he purposed to you." Nell said relieved.

"Well, he asked that too, but only so I would think about it." Amy told her.

Nell and Eric stared at the two with an awkward smile on their faces.

"It's okay, that's a while down the road. My divorce is final November seventeenth." She announced. There was a knock at the door and she yelled up the stairs. "Hey you guys, Daddy's here."

Callen opened the door. "Hey Rick, how are you?" he asked shaking his hand.

"Not bad Callen, how are you guys. Hi Eric, Nell." He said walking into the kitchen.

"Hey Rick." Amy said.

"Hi Amy, how was dinner last night?" He asked.

"How did you know we went to dinner?" she asked.

"I called last night to let you know that most of the furniture is in the garage." He said smiling.

"Oh, okay. We had a very nice time." She told him.

"Good. Would you mind if I kept our mattress and your sister's old couches?" he asked.

"No that's fine, I can buy another mattress set for myself." She told him as the kids came bounding down the stairs.

"Hey guys, you ready to go?" He asked. "Callen, we'll be back around seven tonight, if that's alright?"

"Sure, no problem, I hope you guys don't mind that I ordered three twin sized beds for my house?" he said to the kids.

"No, that's fine, as long as we don't have to sleep on the floor." Ricky laughed.

"Alright you guys, your mom and Callen need to head to the base. Say goodbye and let's go." He said ushering them over to their mother and then out the door.

Callen and Amy picked up the rental truck, Nell and Eric followed in his Jetta. They'd just gotten on base when Amy got the horrible feeling that something was very wrong. She opened the garage door and was devastated. Her desk with the hutch lay there in pieces, the drawers shattered. The matching dresser was broken in two and the drawers too were in pieces. The headboard with the wicker panels was shredded. Everywhere she looked, she found shatter pieces of her past. The dining room table that Callen, Sam and Amy sat at during their first visit was lying in a pile.

She looked back at Callen. The Christmas ornaments were shattered in their container. Her grandmother's flatware set was twisted and mangled in a pile. Her photography portfolio and the plastic container of photos had been dumped on the floor and set ablaze. The photos of her family that adorned the walls were shredded and the glass splintered everywhere. There was nothing left, nothing.

"Amy." Was all Callen managed to say.

"That's son of a bitch. I can't believe he did this." She cried. Amy wanted to scream; instead all she could do was drop to her knees and sob.

Nell and Eric just stared at the carnage that was her life.

"Amy, we can replace all of this, it's just stuff." Callen said kneeling next to her.

"No Callen," she screamed. "This is not just stuff that can be replaced with the snap of your fingers. This is stuff that had meaning. Memories. The desk, dresser and headboard my parents gave me when I was Kristy's age. The Christmas ornaments are irreplaceable. Those were the kid's first Christmas ornaments. You can't buy those anymore. They were dated. My photos are gone, he burned all the negatives. Everything I've worked to save and cherish and accomplish is gone."

"Amy, take a deep breath, we can fix the furniture." Callen said.

"Yes, what's left of it." She said picking up the jig saw puzzle that was the front to one of the dresser drawers and throwing it.

"I'm sorry Amy." He said softly, trying to pull her to him.

Amy pushed him away and went into the house. There was trash everywhere. Shattered glass and fist sized holes in the walls. As she walked into the dining room, she stepped over tufts of the cushioning material from the couches. Huge gaping holes exposed the wood framing inside. The coffee table was disassembled and the loose pieces were broken. She looked at the TV sitting on the TV stand and it looked like someone had kicked it in. She walked into the living room to find the VHS cassette film pulled out of the cassettes, laid in a pile on the floor. Her tiffany lamp crushed. There was a vase with seashells that had been thrown against the wall and the shells themselves were ground into the carpet. The base of the broken vase was sticking out of the wall.

She walked up the stairs to find the innards of all of the mattresses and box springs thrown throughout the top level. The mirror in the kid's bathroom was shattered and the light bulbs smashed. She saw from the hallway that her mother's best friend's hope chest was broken and splintered. Her red comforter was ripped to shreds. The drapes that were hanging on the windows both upstairs and down were in the middle of the floor, now a shredded pile of rags. The master bathroom mirror was shattered and like in the kid's bathroom, the bulbs were smashed.

Amy sat outside the kid's bedrooms, numb, in awe. Never did she ever imagine Rick was capable of such destruction. Callen, Nell and Eric came up the stairs, their mouths agape as they took in the scene. Callen went to her side and pulled her close.

"I can't believe he did this." She repeated over and over.

"I'm going to have someone come in and salvage what can be salvaged, and then I'll have them clean up. I'm so sorry you walked into all of this." He told her.

"I just…" she stopped, he mind was blank. "I can't believe this."

"Come one. We need to call the Command." He said pulling her to her feet.

He walked her down the stairs and out through the front door. He sat her on the curb while he called the Warrant Officer. "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you on the weekend."

"That's fine, is there a problem?" he asked.

"I'm at the house here on base with Amy picking up more of their stuff and Rick has destroyed everything." Callen told him.

"What do you mean destroyed everything?" the Warrant Officer asked confused.

"Sir, it looks like a bomb went off in that house. He broke furniture, burned photos, broke Christmas ornaments, bent her grandmother's flatware, ripped hole in the couches, slashed the mattresses, and broke mirrors." Callen said.

"Holy shit, I'll be there in ten minutes." He said and hung up.

Callen went back into the garage and started snapping photos. Everywhere he stepped he felt as if he was stomping on Amy's heart. He'd never seen one man do more to hurt a woman in his life. He walked the entire house talking pictures. By the time he was done photographing every inch of the devastation, the Warrant Officer walked in.

"Oh my God. Is this all Amy's stuff?" he asked.

"Pretty much, stuff that Amy said she'd had since childhood. We didn't have enough room to move the larger pieces of furniture." Callen told him.

"God, I can't believe this. Where is he now?" he asked.

"I don't know. He picked the kids up for the weekend around eight, eight thirty. He didn't say where he was going." Callen told him.

Nell, Amy and Eric sat on the curb while Callen was inside. Amy just sat there. Her phone rang and she saw that it was Kristy.

She answered trying to sound as normal as possible. "Hi Kristy, are you having fun?"

"Mama." She said.

Amy knew instantly something was wrong. "What's wrong Kristy?"

"I don't know how long I can talk before Daddy comes in the bathroom looking for me." She said rushed.

"Where are you, Kristy?" she said pushing Eric up to get Callen.

"I don't know, we've been driving since we left the house. Daddy's been talking weird. Saying that we are his kids too and he wasn't going to let you dictate when and for how long he could see us. Mommy, I'm scared." She cried.

Callen and the Warrant Officer ran out to the street. "Kristy, Baby, where are you?"

"We're at a Denny's I think we're in Nevada or almost in Nevada." She sobbed. "I want to come home, Mommy."

Amy's mind was racing. All she could think about was having her babies in her arms. She needed them, right then and there. Her heart pounded in her chest, she was desperate. Callen took the phone from her, dragged her into the garage and put the call on speaker phone.

Kristy was crying uncontrollably. "Kristy, calm down. Tell me what you saw when you were outside. Can you remember a street name? The city name? Anything?"

"Callen, I can't I just want to come home." She cried. He could heard pounding and Rick's voice yelling in the background. "I love you and Mom."

"Kristy, Kristy!" Amy screamed when the line went dead. "Oh my God, he took the kids."

Nell ran back into the house hoping to find a cup so she could get Amy some water. Stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet was a copy of the divorce and custody agreement. Written across them in thick black ink was- FUCK YOU BITCH THEY'RE MY KIDS TOO. She ran out to the garage and pulled Callen away by his arm and shoved the papers in his face.

Callen's complexion paled. "Nell, call Hetty and have her meet us at the Mission. Warrant Officer, Rick's taken the kids, is he on leave? Amy, any idea where he could be taking them?"

"The only place I can think of is Texas to his parent's." she said emotionless.

"I'll take care of things on my end; go find those kids, Agent Callen." The Warrant Officer told him. By the time he got to his car, he was already deep in conversation with someone.

Amy was on the floor again, looking lost. He pulled her up and got her in the truck. "Eric as soon as you get to the Mission I want you to locate Kristy, Ricky and Rick's phones with the GPS. Notify everyone you have to; tell them he's unstable and dangerous. We're going to drop off the truck and pick up the car, and then we'll be on our way."

"On it Callen. Amy, we're going to find them, I promise you." Eric said before running to his car.

Callen dialed Sam's number as soon as Sam answered, he was yelling into the phone. "Sam, he took the kids. Kristy managed to call from the bathroom, possibly a Denny's."

"Holy shit, where are you going to be the house or the office?" he asked, Callen could hear him running through the house.

"We're dropping off the rental truck and picking up the car, then we'll be at the office." He said.

"We're on our way, G. We will find them." He said and hung up.

Amy had never felt so desperate in her life. Every breath felt like it was going to be her last. So many thoughts were bouncing around in her head. She wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything around her. Her babies, her babies were all she could think about. She wanted to pull out her hair, scratch her eyes out and scratch her skin till she bled. All she could hear was the fear in her baby's voice. How could he do this? Without the kids, she had nothing. God she wanted her babies.

"Amy, Amy" she heard but it didn't register. She felt his hand on her shoulder, but she was too deep in her mind. "AMY!" he screamed at her.

She looked at him with a blank stare, tears streaming down her face. He saw the fear and hopelessness in her eyes. "Amy, we're going to get them back." He told her.

Amy pulled into herself. Her legs as close to her chest as she could get them and her arms wrapped around them tight. She was crying harder than he'd ever seen. Painful moans. His heart was breaking. He couldn't lose them or her. He didn't care how many traffic laws he broke or how many police cruisers pursued him; he needed to get to the Mission. He pulled into the parking lot of the rental shop and slammed on the breaks, sending a plume of dust everywhere. He got out, threw open the office door and slammed the keys on the counter. The clerk screamed.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." He said and ran back out to the door.

He pulled Amy from the truck and guided her to the Mustang. Without putting on his seatbelt, he threw the car in reverse and back in drive, sending gravel and dust flying everywhere as he pulled out onto the street. Horns blew and brakes screeched. He didn't care, he needed to get there.

Callen blew through a red light, then another and another. By the time he got to the mission, there should've been twenty cruisers behind him. There were none. Kensi and Michelle ran out to help get Amy inside. Callen ran through the doors and up to ops.

"Please tell me we have something, Eric." He said.

"We've got Kristy's phone stationary at the Denny's. Rick's and Ricky's are moving they're on the Forty just outside of Ludlow. It looks like he's headed for Nevada." Eric told him.

"Pull up a map." Callen ordered and walked to the screen.

Eric walked over to the screen and turned back to Nell. "Pin point where they are, Nell."

Three red dots popped onto the screen. Callen looked at the map and pointed to the first dot. "That's Kristy's phone?"

"Yes, we think he dumped the phone." Nell said.

"Mr. Callen." Hetty called from the door, he ignored her. "Mr. Callen. NOW"

Callen shot her a menacing look. "Not now Hetty, I need to figure out where they're headed and how to get them back."

"Callen, Amy needs you right now. We will do everything we can to find them. Go to her." She told him.

Sam, Kensi and Deeks walked past Hetty. "Have we notified California and Nevada Highway Patrol?" Sam asked.

"Yes, both have been notified. They have pictures of both Rick and the kids, in addition to the make and model of the truck and the plate numbers." Eric said.

Amy sat on the couch curled into a ball with her head buried in her arms. Michelle sat beside her, holding her. She saw Callen coming down the stairs and the look he shot back at Hetty after she kicked him out of Ops. Michelle stood and walked a few feet away. Callen was on his knees in front of the couch his arms wrapped around Amy.

"Amy, look at me." He begged, "Please Amy."

All of the sudden, she launched herself off the couch and into his arms. She sobbed against his neck. He rubbed her back and rocked her back and forth. He didn't know why he did it, was something he remembered his mother doing to console him. "Amy, we will get them back if it's the last thing I do. I will not stop until we find them."

"I can't live without them." She cried. "I knew something like this would happen. This is why I didn't leave him sooner."

"I know and I'm so sorry this separation was forced on you. No one ever imagined he'd do something like this." He told her, trying to get her to look him in the eyes.

"I told you not to trust him." She said.

"I know we all let our guard down." He said.

Finally, she'd calmed down and she sat there with her arms and lets wrapped around him, her head resting on his shoulder. He heard footsteps on the balcony. "G." Sam called.

"Amy, I'll be right back." He told her helping her slide back onto the couch. He looked at Michelle. "Stay with her please."

Michelle nodded and immediately sat next to Amy.

Callen walked into Ops and looked around at the team. Eric spoke. "Barstow police found Rick's truck outside the Denny's. One of the waitresses called the police when Rick started pounding on the Women's restroom door. She found Kristy's phone in the trash. They also have footage of him shoving the kids in the back seat of a Nissan Sentra. We've got the plate numbers."

Amy stood and pulled her phone from her pocket and walked away from the bull pen. Quickly she dialed her mother-in-law's number. "Mom, it's Amy."

"Amy Honey, how are you?" she asked.

"Mom, when was the last time you talked to Rick?" Amy asked gruffly.

"Amy, what's wrong?"

"Mom, I just need to know when you talked to Rick last." She said.

"I think it was sometime this week. Hold on, let me ask Joann." She said passing the phone to her daughter.

"Joann, when was the last time your brother called Mom?" Amy asked

"Why, Amy what did he do?" Joann asked.

"He took off with the kids, Jo." Amy said, voice quivering.

"Oh my God. He called yesterday, saying that he was going to be bringing the kids for a visit or something. He really was scattered and hurried." She told her.

"If he makes it there call the police, do not let him take the kids anywhere." She begged.

"I'm so sorry for all of this Amy. Please call us back when you know anything." Joann said.

"Oh Jo, this is just the tip of it. He destroyed everything I left at the house that we couldn't pack the night the kids and I were moved." She told her choking on the words.

"Damn him, what's his problem?" Joann said.

"He's mad, he always told me he'd never let me have the kids." She cried.

"My brother is such a stupid ass. I'm so thankful you finally got out of that marriage. I just wish he'd let you live your life and stop tormenting you." She said.

"You and me both, please I know Mom's health isn't good. Talk to Dad and between the two of you tell Mom whatever you think you should." Amy said.

"I will, call me if you need to talk okay?" Joann said.

"I will. Thank you." She said and hung up.

"Callen, Amy's gone." Michelle said standing outside the Ops automatic doors.

"Where'd she go?" he asked.

"I looked outside, and didn't see her. She's got to be in the building still." She told him.

Eric was already going through the building's security cameras. There was no sign of Amy anywhere.

They heard her voice and everyone turned, relieved to see her. "I just got off the phone with my mother and sister-in-law, Rick called them this week and said he and the kids were going out for a visit. I told Joann, my sister-in-law if he gets there to call the police and not let him take the kids."

"Where'd you go?" Michelle asked.

"Sorry, I needed to walk." She said apologetically.

"How are you doing Amy?" Hetty asked, waving her into the room.

"I don't know. I'm numb, my mind's racing." She told them.

Callen walked to her and pulled her into a hug. She held his shirt in her hands, holding on for dear life. He looked to Hetty, she understood and nodded. "Do you want to hear what we have so far?"

She looked at him and then around the room. "Do I want to hear this?"

"It's not bad, but it's not good either." Callen told her honestly.

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded her head. "Okay."

Callen looked to Eric. "Okay Amy," Eric began. "A waitress at the Denny's in Barstow called the police when Rick started pounding on the women's restroom door. After they took off, she found Kristy's phone in the bathroom. Barstow police found Rick's truck in the parking lot. He'd gone next door to a gas station and stole a Nissan Sentra."

"This map here shows where Kristy's phone was found." Nell explained. "These two red spots are Rick and Ricky's phones."

"Are we sure he still has all three kids?" Amy asked still in Callen's arms.

Eric cued the video the Barstow Police Department sent and pointed to the screen. "Yes, he still has all three kids. The look scared, but it doesn't look like he's hurt them."

"Jenny isn't in a car seat." Amy said panicked.

"He's not driving erratically, so she should be okay." Callen said.

"Yeah, until the police are in pursuit of him." She said.

"You're right, I hadn't thought of that." He said looking at Sam.

"We're going to have to tell CHP and NHP not to try to get them until they've stopped somewhere." Sam said.

Everyone agreed.

"Amy, would you like Callen to take you home?" Hetty asked.

"No, I'd rather be here, if you don't mind. I should call my parent's." she said.

"Don't, let me call them." Callen said taking her phone. He led her by the hand out of Ops.

It was a very long and emotional conversation with Amy's parents. Amy was crying, so he was the go between, answering their questions and asking Amy their questions. Carole asked if Amy and Callen wanted them to come down, but he told her that he thought it would be better if they didn't, even though he thought Amy could use their support. He promised to call them as often as possible to update them.

Amy walked back down to the couch and sat down. She felt so lost and helpless, like she was on the outside looking in. Michelle sat down next to her. One by one, the rest of the team trickled down stairs to sit with her until word came in. Eric pulled everything up on the screen downstairs so they could monitor everything from down there. They waited.

"Eric, have we checked Rick's bank accounts to see how much money has. That might give us an idea of when and where he'll stop for the night." Kensi asked.

"No, I'll do that right now." He said tapping a few times on his tablet.

The information appeared on the screen. "These are all the accounts he has. It looks like he has nothing."

"He probably won't stop at a hotel." Amy said flatly. "When we drove from North Carolina just pulled off at a rest stop."

"That would make it easier to get the kids." Deeks said.

"It would. Eric, how big is the gas tank on the Sentra?" Sam asked.

"I believe on the two thousand eight Sentra, it's a fourteen and a half gallon tank. It averages thirty-three miles to the gallon so that's roughly four hundred seventy-five miles. That is also contingent on how well the vehicle has been maintained by the owner." He said quickly.

"Since he has no money, he'll probably steal another car when this one runs low on gas." Sam said.

"I agree." Callen admitted. "It also depends on whether or not he's got the A/C running."

"That will take him well into Nevada. Do you think he'll stay on the forty, Amy?" Sam asked.

"No, he's going to have to get on the ten at some point." She told him.

"Do you think he'll cut down once he's in Texas or do it before?" Callen asked.

"I don't know. He usually takes the eight out of California into Arizona and picks up the ten. I think the only reason he's on the forty is because he had to leave from the LA area." She told them.

It was hot in the car, even though the A/C was on. Ricky had his phone out of Rick's view playing a game. Kristy was trying to convince him to text Amy. Ricky adamantly refused for fear of Rick throwing away his phone too. Jenny was asleep between them. Rick looked in the rear view mirror at them; they stopped and looked out the windows. As soon as Rick focused on the road again, they started quietly arguing again.

"Ricky please, we have to let Mom know we're ok." She whispered.

"I know, but Daddy's going to get mad if he finds out." He said.

"Just sent the text and erase it. Daddy will never know." She said.

Ricky shook his head. "Yes he will."

"Ricky, please just do it. Mommy's probably losing her mind. Please text her." She begged.

"Fine." He said and began tapping the touch screen. –Mommy we're okay just a little scared. We love you.

He showed the message to Kristy and she nodded her head.

They were sitting in the bullpen silent, waiting for something, anything. When Amy's phone went off. She unlocked her phone and saw the message. "It's Ricky." She yelled excitedly.

Callen read the text out loud, then asked, "Should we text him back?"

"Yes, let them know we know where they are and will get them as soon as we can." Hetty said.

Callen slid the phone open and typed a return message.

Ricky and Kristy smiled when they got a response. "Should we say something else?" Ricky asked.

"Yes, tell them we have," she stopped to look at the gas gauge on the dash board. "About three- quarters of a tank of gas left."

Ricky typed the message and sent it, but the message didn't go through. The kids panicked.

They waited for a response. Eric pulled up a map of cell service and towers in the area. "Guys, they won't have good service again until they're closer Needles. They're almost fifty miles away."

Amy was discouraged, but hopeful. "Are we going to be able to follow them with the GPS through the areas where the service is spotty?"

"We should be able to, but I'm not sure." He said looking at the map. The two red spots on the map disappeared.

Amy took a ragged breath and prayed they were okay. "Has an Amber Alert been issued yet?"

"No, we haven't issued one." Hetty told her. "We don't want to contribute to the situation; we need this to happen as quietly as possibly."

Amy nodded that she understood and began crying again. She burrowed into Callen's side. He looked around helplessly. He had no clue how to comfort her, more than he already was. Everyone gave him a sympathetic look in return. They sat silently waiting for them to appear on the map again.

"It's not going through." Ricky said

Kristy looked out the window and saw nothing but desert. "Try again later when we get closer to the next town."

They sat silently in the back seat, praying they saw their Mom and Callen again.

Amy looked at her phone; it was almost three in the afternoon. "Do you think he's fed them?"

"They ordered food, but I don't know if they were able to eat before they left the restaurant." Eric said.

Amy shook her head, still trying to get this nightmare to sink in. She looked up at Callen who was deep in thought. "Are you okay?"

"I'm worried." He admitted. "I've never felt so helpless. Usually, I'm the one who knows what to do and in this case, I don't."

Amy laced her fingers through his. "If we can get through this, we can get through anything."

Callen smiled and kissed her temple. "We have to get them back."

"I know it's hard, but we have to have faith." She smiled.

"I don't know how you do it?" He said. "Yes, you had your meltdown, but here you sit calm and collected."

"Oh, I assure you this is only on the outside. I'm ready to pull my hair out and scream." She laughed.

"You're not the only one who feels like that, Amy." Michelle told her. "I wish we hadn't left our daughter at her friend's. We didn't know how you would feel having her here."

"I'd probably suffocated her by now." She laughed. "I would've held on to her so tight."

"I'm sorry we didn't bring her." Sam apologized.

"It's probably for the best. I don't want to traumatize her." Amy told them.

"Are you hungry Amy?" Callen asked.

"I don't think I could eat right now, I'm too nauseous. If you are, please eat something." She told him.

"No I'm not, I more worried about you right now." He told her.

Eric jumped up from the desk. "We got them back. Both phones."

"Send them another text." Amy said, but Callen was already typing away.

Ricky's phone vibrated in his hand. He looked at Kristy before he looked at the message.-Mom and I love you very much. You went thru area with no service. There will be more. Stay strong, see you soon.

The kids smiled and exhaled. Ricky began tying another message. –Phone battery low. Will text again soon.

Callen stared at the phone waiting for a reply and smiled when it appeared. "His battery's getting low. He really needs to start putting it on the charger every night."

"Yes he does. Eric, if the phone shuts off, will you still be able to track his phone?" Amy asked.

"No, it has to be on." He said, knowing it was a matter of time before they were tracking only Rick's phone. "Do you think Rick has his charger?"

"I don't know he may not, he didn't put any of their stuff in the car. Hopefully, whoever's car it was doesn't have an I Phone." She said. Amy got up and walked to the screen. She was trying to figure out how far they could get on what was left in the tank. Silently she estimated they'd get as far as Kingman before needing to fill-up again or take another car.

Eric walked up next to her. "What are you thinking?"

"I think they'll make it as far as Kingman before needing more gas." She turned to everyone. "Is there any way we can have the authorities waiting there for them? Get them there instead of letting them get any further into Arizona."

Hetty was proud of Amy. "That's a good idea. Mr. Beal, contact the Police or Sherriff's department in Kingman, see what they can do."

Eric smiled and picked up the phone.

Amy turned back to the map as Callen came up behind her. "That was good." He said kissing her neck. "What else have you got?"

"It's a long shot, but I think he's going to stay on the Forty till he hits Flagstaff. He will pick-up the seventeen and skirt Phoenix, then get on the ten." She said.

"That's what I would do." He told her smiling into her neck.

"I would too." Sam said standing next to them.

Amy and Callen both looked at him and nodded.

"Wait, Ricky said there was three-quarters of a tank of gas left, right?" She said.

"Yeah, that's what he said, why?" Callen asked.

"I think he can get further than Kingman. He may be able to get as far as Seligman or Ash Fork, but he'd be running on fumes." She said. "Sorry, my math is horrible."

"You're doing fine, Amy." Sam said putting his hand on her shoulder.

Tears filled her eyes again.

Eric came back down stairs and announced that the Kingman Sherriff's department would help in any way possible. He added that many of the officers volunteered to follow them in their own vehicles. Not wanting to turn away any help. He accepted the offer without consulting the others.

By five, they'd disappeared and reappeared on the map several more times. Many of the plain-clothed officers picked them up as they passed through Kingman without stopping. They followed until they were out of their jurisdiction, when other officers picked them up. This was promised to continue throughout the night if need be. New Mexico authorities had been notified and they too allotted officers to the cause.

Finally at seven, they got word that Rick had stopped. There was a question of whether to move in and take them now, or wait. Rick had stopped in a heavily populated area and not knowing whether he was armed, they elected to have the officers continue to follow until he stopped at a rest stop for the night. The officers looked on as Rick put the kids in a red Dodge Ram, allowed the gas tank to fill and drove away. A cruiser was on stand-by to take witness statements and write the report on the theft.

Like Amy thought, Rick got off the forty in Flagstaff and took the seventeen south. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted and everyone could see that. Hetty pulled Callen to the side and told him to take Amy home so she could rest. Callen told her that she would probably refuse to leave, but that he would try to convince her. She was sitting on the couch staring at her phone, willing it to do something.

"Hetty wants me to take you home for a little while." He said sitting next to her.

"No, I need to be here." She said.

"You need to get some rest. I know they will call us as soon as they hear anything." He assured her.

"Are you going to stay or come back here?" she asked.

"I'm going to stay with you. We will come back first thing in the morning, I promise." He said taking her hand.

She sighed and thought for a few minutes. "I guess we are just waiting. Okay, let's go. We'll pick up breakfast on the way in tomorrow morning."

Callen stood and helped her too her feet, then pulled her into his arms. They stood there for a few minutes before they said good night and he led her to the car. No sooner had they walked in the house and she was up the stairs and in the hall outside the kids' bedrooms. Callen walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest. She leaned into him and held onto him. They stood there in the silence, wishing they could hear the laughter and play that usually filled the house at this time of night.

Amy shook her head, walked into Kristy's room and just stood there looking around. Her I Pod was sitting on the bedside table with the headphones dangling off the edge. The stuffed bear she'd had since birth was proudly sitting on the dresser. Amy walked around the foot of the bed and picked it up. She smelled it and could smell Kristy. As she held it to her face, she cried. Amy held the bear to her chest as she walked out of the room and into Ricky's. His bear was on the bed; she picked it up and moved onto Jenny's room. Amy didn't know which of her stuffed animals to grab since she loved and toted all of them with her through the house.

Callen came in and stood next to her. He watched as she reached for the off-white bear and held it next to the other in her arms. She turned towards him and leaned against him. Callen held her for a few minutes before leading her to their room and got her in bed. He walked around to the other side and lay down behind her, holding her and the bears tight. Occasionally through the night, Amy would sob quietly, Callen would pull her closed and put his face in her neck. He knew how badly he ached for the kids, but couldn't even begin to fathom the despair she felt. All he could do was be there for her and comfort her as much as he could.

Sam and Michelle headed home at eight; Kensi was sitting on the floor with her legs out in front of her. Deeks sat at his desk. Hetty paced the halls. Eric watched the screen. Nell was leaning back in Callen's chair. They'd had long waits with cases in the past, but this involved someone they'd all come to know and love. Nell offered to make a cup of Tea for Hetty, but she'd already had too many and felt as if she was going to crawl out of her skin. Eric yawned and the rest followed. They all stood and stretched. Kensi walked around jello-legged because her leg had gone to sleep. She walked to the screen and watched the last remaining red dot and the four or five officers who offered to follow them.

Deeks looked at his watch, it was eleven forty. He walked to the kitchenette for another cup of coffee. He was thankful Callen took Amy home; he knew she'd be going out of her mind if she just sat there like they were. He hoped they were able to get some sleep.

Kristy tried to stay awake, but would doze off for a few minutes and wake with a start. She looked over at Ricky and Jenny, both were fast asleep. Rick was yawning; occasionally she would see his eyes close and the car would veer to one side of the road or the other. Then jerk back to into the lane.

"Daddy, I think you should pull over and get some sleep." She said.

"At the next rest stop, in about ten or fifteen miles." He told her.

In the darkness, she grabbed Ricky's phone and stuck it under her sweatshirt. She turned it on, pulled the hood over her head and typed a text message to her mother. There was just enough battery left to send the message.

Amy heard her phone go off, but took her a few minutes to wake up. Callen felt her move and looked up as she reached for the phone. He read the message and quickly rolled over grabbing his phone and dialed the office. Amy wasn't sure who answered. Callen said quickly. "They're stopping at the next rest stop."

"How do you know?" Deeks asked.

"I guess there was just enough battery left for them to send a text." He said.

"Alright, we'll let the officers know to get ready." He said and hung up.

"Are we going?" Amy said sitting up, still holding clutching the bears.

"Do you want to?" he asked.

"Please." She said.

They walked into the mission twenty minutes later as the team listened to the officer's work out the details of how they would approach the car. Amy knew the kids would be horrified by the armed men, but they had to know it was to get them out. She listened as one officer gave the order to go in.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest. Callen was next to her, holding her tight. They looked at one another with a hopeful smile as they heard she footsteps of the officers approach the car.

Kristy was in and out of sleep when she saw a man approach wearing all black. She saw a green light on the earpiece in his left ear and the semi-automatic rifle in his hands. Without waking her father, she reached into the front and unlocked the passenger door.

"The older juvenile female sees us; she unlocked the front passenger door." A man said.

Amy smiled widely, with butterflies in her stomach.

The man motioned for Kristy to try to unlock the driver's side door. Slowly, she made her way across the truck and unlocked the driver's door. Ricky woke up and gave her an odd look. She pointed out the window at the man who was standing on the other side. As she sat back into her seat, she quietly unlocked her door and gave the man at her door the thumbs up.

"All the doors have been unlocked." The officers said. "On three. One… Twr document here...


	16. Chapter 16

Kristy thought this was it, they were going home. Suddenly, the doors locked. She saw Rick turning the key and the truck started.

"No Daddy please!" she screamed.

"Shut up!" he yelled back as he threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking space, screeching to a halt. Then he put it in drive and took off.

Kristy looked out the back window and saw the men raise their weapons. She quickly pulled Ricky and Jenny onto the floor board between the front and back seats before glass flew everywhere. Ricky and Jenny screamed as more shots were fired.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Rick screamed as a bullet went through the windshield.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I just want to go home." She sobbed.

Rick gunned it and was flying down the ramp back onto the Ten. He was silent as he sped along.

The doors locked and the engine started. There was chaos. Amy could hear Kristy screaming. The officer's were yelling to get out of the way as she heard the truck back-up and then drive off. Gun fire was followed by the sound of shatter glass. Screaming, more screaming. She heard Rick bellowing and more crying.

No, no this can't be happening, Amy thought.

They stood there stunned by what they just heard. "I'm sorry, they got away." One of the officers said over the wire.

"You stupid son of a bitch my kids are in that truck!" She screamed.

Callen grabbed her and immediately took her out of Ops. He held her tight. "They're fine Amy. Until we know otherwise, they're fine."

She was uncontrollable, going one direction and then the other. She couldn't believe they were gone again. Callen tried to stop her, but she pushed him away and ran off down the stairs, past the bullpen.

It was warm outside, but with the back window gone, the wind whipped through the truck. Kristy took off her sweatshirt and shook it off then carefully tried to sweep the glass off the bench seat. Then laid her sweatshirt on the seat, put Jenny on it and buckled the seatbelt around her. Ricky took off his sweatshirt, shook off the glass and sat on it, buckling the seat belt. Kristy reached into the front seat to grab Rick's sweatshirt and a blanket the owner had left there.

Rick grabbed her wrist. "You ever pull some shit like that again and so help me God, Kristy."

She just looked at him pulling on her arm to free it. "Daddy you're hurting me."

Rick let go and Kristy sat on the sweatshirt, and then tossed the blanket over the three of them, huddled together for warmth.

Rick looked in the rearview mirror to see if they were being followed. Kristy looked back too and saw headlights in the distance. Rick stepped on the gas to get further ahead of them.

Amy had to get away, she ran down the hall checking for an unlocked door as she went. Finally, she found herself in the gym. She punched and kicked the lockers along the wall. Before she collapsed on the floor and cried. She knew they were gone. Even when they did catch-up to Rick, the kids would never be the same. Amy brought her knees to her chest. The room was dark; she felt it closing in on her. No matter how she tried to quiet her mind, she couldn't. It went on and on, playing the mental image of the scene in her head.

They stood there silent as Callen walked back in Ops. "Where is she, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.

"She ran off. I heard the door to the gym close. I'm going to give her a few minutes." He said ready to punch the wall.

"Don't leave her alone too long, we are the most desperate when we're alone. She needs you." Hetty said.

Callen was out the door before she finished, taking the steps three at a time, he ran down the hall to the gym. He listened for a second before he went in and could hear her sobbing. He walked to her and lay on the floor, but didn't touch her. He waited for her to come to him. She wormed her way to his side and laid her head on his chest. Callen put his arm around her and wiped away his tears. They were in the gym for an hour before anyone came to find them.

Hetty opened the door quietly and stepped in, she saw them lying on the floor as one. She stepped back out and went to the couch for a blanket and returned to cover them. She stood there for a moment watching them and walked back out. It pained her to see the despair on their faces, even as they slept.

She sat at her desk until she saw the first rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds. Sam, Michelle and their daughter walked around the corner. "We heard what happened." He said looking around for Callen and Amy.

"They're asleep in the gym." She told them. "The rest are in Ops."

"Is there any news on whether or not the kids are okay?" Michelle asked,

"Yes, there have been several reports of that they're alright. State Troopers have been following at a safe distance." She told them.

"What's the plan?" Sam asked.

"For once, Mr. Hanna, I don't think we have one." She said flatly.

Sam and Michelle just looked at her. They heard a door close behind them and turned to see Callen and Amy walking towards them. Amy had been crying again and was leaning into Callen. He had one arm around her and the blanket in the other. He laid the blanket over the back of one of the chairs across from Hetty and sat Amy down.

"Thank you for the blanket, Hetty." He said with a faint smile. "Amy, do you want me to get you a cup of coffee?"

She nodded; looking at the Mother's ring Callen had given her two nights ago. Her lip quivered and eyes teared. Sam's daughter dropped Michelle's hand and went to Amy's side. She grabbed the child and pulled her onto her lap, rocking her back and forth. Sam pulled Michelle close and kissed her head. The little girl put an arm around Amy's neck and lifted her head, to meet her eyes.

"I know they're okay and they'll come back home soon." She told Amy.

"I know you're right Honey, I just miss them and I'm scared." Amy said smiling the best she could.

"It's alright to be scared." The little girl smiled and pushed Amy's hair from her face.

"Thank you. I needed this." She said hugging her tightly, looking thankfully up at Sam and Michelle.

"Anytime, Amy." She smiled.

Amy let her down when Callen came back with two coffee cups and set one in front of her. Sam's daughter wrapped herself around his waist. Callen picked her up and hugged her then let her back down again. She went back to Michelle's side. Callen laid his hand on Amy's shoulder then took a seat next to her.

"Is there any news?" Callen asked.

"I don't know. I haven't been back upstairs for a while now." She said standing.

Amy, Callen and Sam followed her up to Ops. Kensi and Deeks were lying on the floor, Eric asleep in his chair. Nell saw them come in and offered a faint smile.

"Ms. Jones, is there any news?" Hetty asked.

"Yes," she smiled. "We know for sure that the kids are just fine. A few scrapes from the broken glass, but they're fine Amy."

"Thank God," she smiled. "Where are they?"

"They're just outside of Las Cruses, New Mexico. They stopped early this morning to eat and bounced on the check. But not before one of the undercover officers talked to the girls in the restroom." She smiled.

Callen smiled widely at Amy and pulled her close. "What did they say?"

"They told the female officer that they were scared, but doing well. The officer told them that they would get them as soon as they stopped again. The Texas DOT has left a bait car at a gas station in El Paso." She said.

"How do they know where they're going to stop? Do they think he's going to take it?" Amy asked eagerly.

Nell's smile lit the room. "The Police in New Mexico siphoned some of the gas when they stopped, so he has to stop as soon as they get into El Paso. They'll let him get through El Paso before they move in."

"God, I hope he takes it." Callen said looking at Amy.

"There are cameras in the car, so we're going to be able to see the kids. Not to mention watch them take Rick into custody." She said.

"So how long before they reach El Paso?" Amy asked walking to the map on the screen.

"Less than fifty miles, they should be there within fifteen, twenty minutes." Nell told everyone. "How are you holding up, Amy?

"I'm here. I pray to God this doesn't go like the last time." She said folding her arms over her chest.

"It will not. The vehicle will be disabled. They will be followed closely by the control car. The engine will stop and the doors will lock. When the officers are in position, they will unlock the back doors only, get the kids out safely then arrest Rick." Nell explained, trying to calm her fears.

Amy turned around, walked back to the table and picked up her coffee. Kensi and Deeks were standing on the other side of the table and said good morning. They waited while Nell and Eric brought the footage of the service station and the interior of the bait car. Eric brought up a third screen showing traffic cams at the off ramp and the intersection next to the gas station.

Amy felt she was going to go cross-eyed if she looked at the screens any longer. Finally, the truck stopped at the light at the base of the off ramp. When the light turned green, the truck turned left and drove about a quarter of a mile to the intersection next to the station. They watched as the truck pulled around to the back of station and parked in an empty lot. The four occupants got out, looked around and made their way to the bait car.

Amy had never been as relieved as she was when she saw that the kids were unharmed with her own eyes. She smiled a genuine smile at Callen and he pulled her close. With the kids in the car, Rick allowed the tank to fill before he got in the car and drove off. Eric quickly changed the feeds on the screen. One was the control car and the other was the various intersections the car passed through.

Nell turned on the audio and told the control car that they were listening.

Five miles outside down town El Paso, the car sputtered and jerked. Rick pulled the car over to the slow lane and then onto the median. Once the car was safely out of traffic, the control car hit the kill switch. Rick was baffled when the car stopped and wouldn't restart. Kristy heard the doors lock and panicked when she couldn't unlock it. A voice came over the cars stereo telling them to remain in the vehicle. Rick looked in the rearview mirror as the control car and four State Police cruisers blocked them in. Kristy and Ricky looked out the back window as officers approached the car with their pistols drawn.

Kristy unbuckled their seatbelts and waited eagerly. With four officers at the vehicle, the passenger doors were unlocked and opened the kids jumped from the car and into the arms of the waiting officers. Once the kids were safe in one of the cruisers out of view of the bait car, the three officers made their way back to the car and signaled for the driver's door to be unlocked. An officer opened the door and reached in to unbuckle Rick's safety belt, pulled him out of the car and onto the gravel.

Amy looked on with sheer joy as Rick was cuffed, read his rights and put in the back of a police car.

The phone in Ops rang. Nell scrambled for the phone. "Amy, it's for you."

Amy slowly walked to the phone and took it. "Hello?"

"Mommy!" it was Kristy. "Mommy we're safe."

"I know Baby, I watched the whole thing." She said crying. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine. A few scratches from the broken glass, but we're good. When are we coming home?" she asked.

"I don't know Baby. Let me make arrangements for a flight out. I'm sure you'll be taken care of until I can get there. I love you Kristy. You did so well. Please give your brother and sister and huge hug from me."

"I will Mom, is Callen going to come with you?" She heard Ricky say in the background.

"I don't know Ricky, we'll see." She said.

"Ok, Mom they're going to take us to the hospital to make sure we're okay. I'll call you when I know where they take us after that." She said, and then there was a chorus of voices. "WE LOVE YOU!"

She handed the phone to Nell and walked to Callen. "They're being taken to the hospital, then they'll call when she know where they're taking them from there. I need to get there as soon as possible."

"You two leave in two hours from LAX." Nell announced.

"Sam, could you follow them to Amy's and then take them to the airport?" Hetty asked.

"Sure." He said with a smile.

"Thank you, Hetty." Amy said.

"You're very welcome. Please go get your babies. You return tomorrow afternoon. Sam would you pick them up as well?"

"Yes, I will." He answered.

"I cannot thank you all enough." Amy said going around the room, thanking each and every one of them.

"Amy, we need to go and pack an overnight bag." Callen said holding his hand out to her. She took it and walked out of Ops.

She was on cloud nine the entire way home, so very thankful that she was getting the kids back in one piece. Her heart soared at the thought of holding them in her arms again. Amy looked at Callen who smiled back at her.

"Thank you for everything, Callen." She said.

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I couldn't let you go through it alone and I love the kids as much as you do."

"I know you do. I know how hard this was for me, I can't even imagine what you were going through." She told him.

"I think the hardest part was watching you. I didn't know what to do to help you." He said watching the road.

"You were with me, that's where I needed you to be. That's what I needed." She smiled.

"I love you, Amy." He smiled.

"I love you too." She said leaning over and kissing his cheek.

Callen pulled the Mustang into the driveway and met Amy at the door. As soon as it was unlocked, she ran to the hallway and grabbed a duffle bag, then went upstairs to get clothes for the kids. Callen was in the bedroom, getting a set of clothes for himself and put them in the duffle. Amy pulled a pair of jeans from the closet, folded them and put them on top of Callen's clothes. He had already gone to the dresser and gotten her a shirt. He put in the duffle and grabbed her a pair of socks while she went to the bathroom to grab shampoo, conditioner and both hers and Callen's body wash.

"Do you mind if Ricky uses some of your body wash?" she asked putting the bottles in a side pocket.

"That's fine." He said. "Hey, stop for a minute."

"I'm sorry I just want to get to the kids." She told him smiling.

"I know I do too." He said sitting on the edge of the bed. She walked over to him and rested her arms on his shoulders. He rested his head against hers and said. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said kissing him softly.

"G, Amy you guys about ready?" Sam called from the base of the stairs.

Amy zipped the duffle closed and headed out of the room when Callen stopped her, kissed her then took the duffle bag and turned off the light as they left the room.

"Sorry, Sam we were packing the bag." Amy said.

"Don't worry about it." He said walking out the door.

Amy grabbed her purse, the keys off the hook and locked the front door. "Hey Sam, would you mind coming back later to feed the animals and pull the Mustang in the garage?"

"Sure. Do you want the Mustang in this garage or the one in the back?" he asked.

"The back garage, I put the Jag in this one." She told him.

"You let Amy drive the Jag?" Sam asked shocked.

"Not really. She and Nell did it when I was in the shower yesterday morning." He told him, waiting for Sam to make jokes.

All Sam did was smile, nothing more, nothing less.

Callen held the front seat up so Amy could get in the back, then got in and closed the door. Sam handed him their flight information.

"Where are we flying into?" Amy asked.

"El Paso International." He told her.

"Alright" she asked confused.

"Nell chartered a plane for us. We land at one o'clock Texas time." He said. "We'll get the kids and check into the hotel then figure out what to do for dinner."

"Where are we staying?"

"The Radisson by the airport." Sam said.

"Ok." Amy said, sitting back and smiling.

Sam pulled the Challenger to the curb outside the hanger and got the bag out of the trunk while Callen helped Amy out of the back seat. He handed him the bag and told them to go get their kids. Amy looked at him and gave him an odd smile.

"What, he loves those kids as much as you do. We all love them. Bring them home. Have a good flight. See you tomorrow." He said getting back in the car.

Callen and Amy walked to the waiting plane and boarded. They were the only two on the flight, aside from the pilot, co-pilot and flight attendant. They each took a seat on opposite sides of the aisle. The pilot announced that they'd he taking off in ten minutes. Amy smelled coffee as the flight attendant offered them each a cup. They took it and thanked her.

Within minutes of take off, Callen noticed that Amy was falling asleep. He reached over and reclined the seat for her. She smiled and was gone for the rest of the flight. Callen stared out the window at the world below, then reached into the duffle at his feet and pulled out a red velvet ring box. He held it in his hand for a while before he opened it and stared at the diamond engagement ring. Callen love the way it reflected in the sunlight, spraying brilliant colors on the ceiling of the plane. Not knowing what was causing the colors, the flight attendant stood and walked to him.

"That's a beautiful ring, Mr. Callen." She said from behind his seat.

He snapped the box shut and looked back at her. "Thank you, I've had it for a week or better and it never seems like a good time to give it."

"She's a lucky woman, whoever she is." The woman said with a somewhat jealous smile.

Callen looked over at Amy, smiled and told her. "No, I'm the lucky one."

"That's for Mrs. Russell? I thought she was married." The brunette said walking around to a seat ahead of him.

"Her divorce will be final in November." He smiled.

"How long have you been seeing each other?" she asked crossing her legs and resting her elbow on her knee.

"We've known one another about a month and a half, but had out first official date Friday night." He explained with a glint in his eyes.

"And you're ready to propose already? Wow, you move fast." She laughed looking over at Amy.

"She's like no other woman I've ever met; Amy's everything I never knew I wanted." He smiled widely.

"Well, I hope she says yes when you do finally ask." She said standing up and walking back to her station.

Callen spent the rest of the flight staring at the ring, envisioning what it would look like on her hand or he watched her sleep. Occasionally she'd stir and wake from a nightmare, but she fell back to sleep. Everything was right, he had Amy and they were going to get the kids. His heart had never been so full. He had never loved four people more in his life.

The pilot announced their decent, so Callen reached over and brushed his fingers across Amy's cheek. She leaned into his hand and smiled.

"We're getting ready to land, you need to sit up." He told her.

The flight attendant walked up the aisle and stopped between them. "We just got word that there will be a car waiting for you when we land. They'll take you to the police station, to you children."

"Thank you so much." Amy smiled.

As soon as they stepped off the plane, there was an unmarked police car waiting for them. The officer took the duffle and put it in the back seat next to Amy, Callen sat in the front. They saw the droves of media as they pulled into the parking lot and were rushed as they got out of the car. A million questions were being yelled, flashes popped in their faces.

"Mrs. Russell, what can you tell us about the children's conditions?" One reporter yelled.

"Mrs. Russell, are you going to continue to share custody with your soon-to-be ex-husband or are you going to seek sole custody?" Another yelled.

"Mrs. Russell, sources tell us that you and your husband orchestrated the kidnapping as a hoax, what can you tell us about that?" A man in a cheap suit asked, knowing that was the question that she would comment on.

Amy turned around and looked right at the reporter. "I don't know who you got your information from, but that's dead wrong. I would never knowingly put my children through something like this."

"Then Mrs. Russell, please confirm that you're engaged in an extramarital affair with your male companion." He said with a smirk.

"Again, sir, you've been misinformed. I have nothing more to say to any of you and I'd appreciate it if none of you are here when my children and I leave. They've already been through enough." She said, turning around and quickly walked into the building. She could hear the reporters yelling questions at her through the closed doors.

Callen and Amy were led to the station's lunch room. As soon as she saw them, she dropped to her knees and sobbed, pulling them close. She kissed each one and hugged them so tight they thought their eyes would pop out of their heads. Callen stood back and watched as she checked them over head to toe, then hugged and kissed them more. Finally, they begged for her to stop and she reluctantly did. They ran to Callen and he too gave them many hugs and kisses.

One of the officers who took the children to the hospital was telling Amy that there were no major injuries, just minor scraped and bruises. He called Kristy over so he could show Amy the bruise around her wrist.

"Your father did this to you?" she asked holding Kristy close.

"Yes he did, because I unlocked the doors for the officers last night." She told Amy with tears in her eyes.

Callen walked to Amy's side with Jenny in his arms to look at Kristy's wrist.

"I'm so proud of you three." Amy told them. "Even though you must have been scared out of your minds, you still stayed calm. Thank you so much for texting us so we knew where you were."

"We just wanted to come home to you and Callen." Kristy said smiling up at them.

"Mrs. Russell, your husband has asked to speak with you before you leave." The officer told her.

"I have nothing to say to him." Amy said sternly.

"Ma'am, please he'd like to speak with you one last time." He said.

Amy looked at Callen and the kids. "Fine, but not for very long and he'd better be behind glass or I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"Ma'am, I understand your anger, but keep in mind that you are in a police station." He laughed.

He led Amy down a short hall and asked her to sit on a black stool bolted to the ground. Thankfully, there was a pane of glass between them. Rick, wearing an orange set of scrubs was brought into the room shackled at his ankles and wrists. The officer with him freed his hands to he could reach for the phone receiver on the wall. He picked it up and looked at her and waved the receiver at her. Amy picked it up and put it to her ear.

"I have nothing to say to you." She snapped.

"You finally got what you wanted didn't you? Now you're going to get the kids all to yourself." He said harshly.

"I didn't do this. You're the one that took off with the kids, stealing one car after another. I saw the bruise on Kristy's wrist." She hissed.

"She had it coming." He smirked.

"I'm going to personally see to it that you never see the kids again and if you do the only way is either through glass or supervised. Don't blame anyone but yourself. I was trying to work with you, Rick. You knew you'd have the kids two weeks out of the month, every month if you decided to stay in California. Now your ass is going to Kansas. Do not ever come near the kids or me again. You've lost all rights to them, do you understand me." She yelled into the phone.

"You can't keep them from me, they're my kids too." He yelled back, pounding the receiver on the glass.

"Watch me you sick fuck." She yelled, hung up and walked out of the room. Everyone stared at her as she walked down the hall back to Callen and the kids.

Amy's face was red when she walked back into the room. Callen put Jenny down so he could talk to Amy. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better now." She smiled, her face returning to its normal color. "He will never see them again if I have anything to do with it."

"With as many offenses are they're going to be charging him with, I don't think he ever will." He smiled and hugged her.

They walked back over to the kids. "I'm sorry you had to hear that." She told them.

"It's alright, he deserves it." Ricky said.

Callen looked at his watch. "Are you guys hungry? What do you think about Pizza and a movie in our hotel room?"

The kids cheered at the top of their lungs and danced around. "I take that as a yes." Amy laughed.

The officer who brought them to the station met them at a back entrance with a van. Amy was thankful; they didn't have to subject the kids to the media frenzy out front. It's bad enough; she suspected they would have to face it when they got home. When they finally got to their hotel room, Amy was in tears again. She wouldn't leave the kids alone, she had to be touching, or hugging or kissing them at all times.

"Mom, please. I know you missed us and you're happy we're home, but it's getting a little annoying now." Kristy laughed.

Amy kissed her one last time and laughed. "I know I'm sorry."

Callen ordered the pizzas while the kids showered. Ricky was digging through the bag and came across the ring box and pulled it out. "What's this?" he said opening it.

Kristy walked over and gasped. "Oh my God, Callen is this for my Mom?"

Callen was standing at the door watching for the pizza delivery. He looked at them and ran over to them snatched the ring box. Amy was already walking towards them and gave him a funny look.

"What was it?" she asked.

"It was the most beautiful diamond ring I've ever seen!" Kristy exclaimed.

Callen shot her a look, begging her to stop.

"Diamond ring?" Amy asked stopping about two feet from Callen.

"Thank you Ricky and Kristy, I hadn't really planned of anyone seeing it or saying something about it yet." He said making funny faces at them.

The kids giggled.

"That looks like the ring box from the other night." Amy said

"It is the ring box from the other night. This is the ring that was originally in it when I pulled it out of my pocket. I switched the rings when you weren't looking and stuck this ring in my pocket." He said awkwardly.

"So you were going to ask me to marry you?" she asked.

"Until you said that it would ruin the perfect evening." He told her.

"Please tell me you really didn't say that, Mom?" Kristy asked.

"I did." She said dropping her head in shame.

"That's why I asked you to think about it and told you I'd be asking you again sometime." He said taking a step forward.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could say to him.

They were standing about a foot apart; he reached for her hand and dropped to one knee. Amy was instantly in tears as she looked down at him. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. The two times she'd been married, she never received a proper marriage proposal.

"Amelia Josephina Vincent Russell. You are everything I never knew I wanted. You've shown me that there can be happy endings to some of the worst experience life can hand you. I love you and your children. Please tell me that you will be mine forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with the four of you. Please marry me." He said with his voice cracking and quivering.

She saw he was serious, through her own tears, she saw his. "I did say that if we could make it through this we could make it through anything. Yes, I'll marry you."

Callen jumped up and kissed her, then took the ring from the box and very shakily slipped it on her finger. The kids were on the bed jumping, whooping and hollering. Callen kissed Amy again. Jenny launched herself off the bed and into Callen. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Jenny reached for Amy and pulled her into the hug. Soon all five of them were standing in the middle of the room in a group hug.

The kids danced and played for another thirty minutes until the pizzas came. Callen and Amy sat at the head of the bed while the kids sat in different spots eating their pizza and watching the only movie they could find on the TV that was appropriate for the kids to watch. Amy couldn't stop staring at the ring and smiling. She and Callen would look at one another and beam. By nine, the kids had fallen asleep all over their bed, so Callen and Amy lay the girls in their bed and Ricky on the rollaway. Callen flipped through the channels, looking for something else to watch, but couldn't find anything. He was content to cuddle next to Amy and start to plan the rest of their lives.

Amy placed her leg over his hip. "I love you."

He kissed her softly. "I love you, too. Thank you for saying yes."

"This weekend has made the realized more than a few things." She smiled.

"Like what if you don't mind me asking?" he asked.

"Us, you and me, I knew you loved me, but the fact that you never left me alone to deal with this by myself. Who my friends are, our friends I should say. Your team blew me away. I can't believe how hard they worked to help get the kids back." She told him.

"I couldn't leave you. I needed to be with you as bad as you need me. I was going out of my mind. Seeing you the way you were, it broke my heart. I've seen a lot of stuff with this job, but never have I seen someone so distraught one minute and so strong the next. You really are a remarkable woman." He said running his fingers down her spine.

"I felt like I was going to lose my mind. It's horrible how something so precious can be gone in the blink of an eye." She smiled, choking back the tears.

"I'm sorry about all of your stuff." He said pulling her closer.

"You're right, it's just stuff. I have the memories. I'm upset about the desk, dresser and headboard because that wasn't mine anymore. I gave it to Kristy." She said tossing her arm over her head.

"I know, I remember seeing the desk and dresser in her room. How upset do you think she's going to be when she finds out what happened to it?" he asked.

"I don't know. I want to try to fix it for her." She told him.

"I'll help you. Plus I've got a good friend back East who's a great carpenter, I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping." He smiled and kissed her neck just below her ear.

"That would be wonderful. I don't have all the tools and stuff needed to do it all myself." She smiled.

Callen's phone rang; he rolled over to see who it was. "It's Sam." He told Amy as he answered it. "Hey Sam."

"Hey G, I know it's late there, I just wanted to make sure the kids are okay." He said.

"They're doing fine. A few scratches and bruises, but no worse for wear." He said rolling onto his back. Amy laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart.

"Thank God. What time does your flight get in tomorrow?" he asked.

"I think it lands at three." Callen said.

"Alright, just to let you know, Hetty's planned a welcome home party for the kids. She ordered a cake and balloons." He laughed.

"I'm sure they'll like that." He said, rubbing Amy's back.

"Alright, get some sleep. We'll see you guys tomorrow afternoon." Sam said.

"Goodnight." Callen said and hung up. Callen put the phone back on the table between the two beds and rolled back over to Amy. "Hetty's planned a welcome home party for the kids with a cake and balloons."

"They're going to love that." Amy said kissing Callen's chest.

"Damn, we should've had the kids call your parents." He said smelling her hair.

"You're right, I wasn't thinking about that. I have to say, you kind of threw a wrench in things with your marriage proposal." She smiled.

"So when do you think you want to get married?" he sighed as she cuddled against his chest.

"We have to wait until the divorce is final. How about next summer?" she said.

"I don't know that I want to wait that long. I was thinking December." He told her.

"Do you think we can plan a wedding in seven months?" she asked.

"How hard could it be?" he laughed.

"We have to get my dress, the bridesmaid's dresses, and rent tuxedos if you choose to wear one, we need to find a place to have the wedding and reception. We have to find a caterer, florist, entertainment for the reception. The cake. Invitations. There's a lot that has to be done." She told him.

"How long does it usually take to plan a wedding? He asked.

"Ideally, a year of two." She said.

"I will not wait two years to marry you." He said. "A year at the most."

"Let's talk to the kids and see what they think." Amy suggested and yawned.

"We probably should include the kids in the planning. Get some sleep, you've had a long weekend." He said kissing her one last time before she fell asleep.

In the morning, the kids woke up before Amy and Callen, they turned the TV on and watched cartoons before they woke. Callen asked them to get dressed while Amy was in the shower. She was shocked when she came out and they were dressed, shoes on and hair combed. Callen kissed her as he walked past her to the bathroom so he could shower. She got herself dressed and packed the duffle. By nine o'clock, they were in the lobby checking out and then on to breakfast.

They had a couple hours before their flight left, so Callen took them to the War Eagles Air Museum. Had there been enough time, they would've got to the Railroad and Transportation Museum. As it was, they didn't make it back to the airport until one forty-five. They rushed onto the plane and got the kids belted in as they were pulling away from the hanger. Callen and Amy noticed that it was the same flight crew as before. The flight attendant was very happy to see the kids smiling faces and made sure they had plenty of snacks for the two hour flight.

She noticed as she walked back up the aisle that Amy was wearing the ring and stopped to congratulate them.

Sam, Michelle and their daughter met them outside of the terminal and walked them to short term parking. Callen, Amy and Ricky sat in the second row is seats in the Expedition so they could talk with Sam and Michelle, while the girls were sitting in the third row. There was lots of laughter and conversation. Ricky told them that Callen and Amy were getting married. Callen and Amy looked at each other and then at Sam and Michelle. They just stared at them before they spoke.

"I saw the ring, but I didn't want to say anything." Michelle smiled.

"We really hadn't planned on saying anything yet. I guess we should've told the kids that." Amy laughed, elbowing Ricky.

"Sorry." He said at her.

"It's alright, Ricky." Callen told him.

"So have you guys set a date yet or is that a ways away?" Sam asked looking in the rearview mirror.

"We kind of talked about it last night. I would like to see some time next summer, but Callen wants to do it in December." Amy told them.

"Your divorce is final in November." Sam pointed out.

"I know, but I think December is too soon after the divorce. Not to mention just trying to plan a wedding in seven months is going to be insane." She said.

"It can be done. I've seen weddings put together in a shorter amount of time." Michelle said.

"So Michelle, I was wondering if you'd be my Matron of Honor." She asked.

Michelle's eyes watered. "Of course."

"Sam, would you be my best man?" Callen asked.

"Hell yeah I will." He said. "You know who you need to call."

"Gibbs. I know I'll call him over the weekend." Callen told him.

"Who is Gibbs?" Amy asked.

"Gibbs is one of the agents who works out of our office in DC. We've known each other for a while." Callen told her. "Don't worry; you'll get to meet him. I'd like to have him as a groomsman."

"What are we going to do?" Ricky asked.

"Well, I'd like to have you up there with me as a junior groomsman if you'd like?" Callen said patting Ricky's back.

"I'd really like that." Ricky said nodding his head.

"What about us?" Kristy asked.

"Well, you're going to be a junior bridesmaid and Jenny will be a flower girl." She said turning to look at her.

"Ok." Kristy said with an ear to ear grin.

"What colors do you think you'll go with?" Michelle asked.

"It depends on the time of year we choose, I guess. I'd like red dresses for you and the bridesmaids." She told her.

"Michelle looks good in red." Sam said. "But then again, Michelle looks good in everything."

"Aw, thank you Sam." She said leaning over and kissing him, then wiped the lipstick off his cheek.

"Where are we going?" Ricky asked. "I thought the house was back there?"

"Hetty wants to see you guys, so I'm taking you to the office." Sam said, happy that Callen hadn't said anything to them about the welcome home party.

"Oh cool, we get to see where you guys work?" Kristy asked from the behind Callen.

Callen turned around and said. "Yes, maybe not all of it, but most of it, there are some places you guys can't go."

Michelle and Amy walked in with the kids, Sam and Callen behind them. "Congratulations, G." Sam said shaking Callen's hand.

Everyone waited for them in the bullpen. There was a banner hung over the kitchenette that said- Welcome Home Kristy, Ricky and Jenny. The cake was sat on a table Kensi and Deeks had brought in from one of the storage rooms. Balloons were tied to the wrought iron partition surrounding the area. As soon as the kids saw it they were so excited.

Nell asked the kids if they wanted to see the footage of their rescue and of course they did. She cued it up and stood with them at the screen. Amy and Callen walked up behind them arm in arm. Sam pointed out the ring on Amy's left hand.

"Mr. Callen, is there something else you'd like to tell us?" Hetty asked.

He knew exactly what she was talking about and shot Sam a look. "Well, I guess now is as good a time as any. I've asked Amy to marry me and she's said yes."

Amy held up her left hand so Kensi and Nell could admire the ring. There was a round of congratulations and pats on the back and the shaking of hands. Hetty disappeared and returned with a bottle of champagne and apple cider. She opened the bottles and filled the plastic cups, then presented the three kids with the cider and the adults with the champagne.

"I was saving this another time, but this new celebration warrants it." She said raising her glass to them. "I wish you many, many years of happiness."


	17. Chapter 17

He'd been watching them for months now and they never knew the difference. It took him a while to find them after she was discharged from the hospital. He sat at the table in his hotel room looking at all of the photos he'd taken of them and smiled at each and everyone where she looked happy, safe. The pictures of the group at Disneyland were his particular favorites, especially when Agent Callen and the over grown oaf; Agent Hanna took her son on the tea cup ride and wound up making themselves sick. He took advantage of their absence to install cameras throughout the house. She'd lost a considerable amount of weight and miraculously looked good. Occasionally, when he was bored, he would even watch their torrid acts in the bedroom or where ever they happened to take place. Too bad she hadn't taken the time to lose the weight earlier; maybe her husband wouldn't have had so many other women.

It delighted him to see them in El Paso at the police station when she picked up her children and the response she had for the reporter who accused her of having an affair with Agent Callen. He knew it was money well spent. It was intriguing how close Agent Hanna's wife and her had become. Had he something against Agent Hanna, it would've been easy to pick her off. Then there were the pictures of her in that wretched gown, a gown she'd never get to wear if he had anything to do with it. After looking at his watch, he turned his attention to the monitor and starting flipping through the screens, trying to find her in the house. Of course, she and Mrs. Hanna were at the table pouring over a wedding that would never happen. Pity, he liked Agent Callen and didn't know what he saw in that thing he called a fiancée.

Amy and Michelle sat at the table going over the pictures of the bridesmaid's dresses Michelle had found. Looking at the time, she noticed it was only three. Amy got up and went to check on the kids in the back yard. Even though Awan had been dead for months and Rick was now serving his sentence at Leavenworth, she still had a nagging feeling. She still waited for the other shoe to fall. Relieved when she saw all four kids playing on the trampoline, she returned to the table. As she sat, one dress in particular caught her eye. It was very similar to her gown, one shouldered and very ethereal or Grecian looking; perfect for their beach wedding. These dresses were shorter than hers, but would be perfect for Michelle, Kensi, Nell and Kristy.

"What colors does this one come in?" she asked pointing at the picture.

Michelle handed her a printed copy of the color swatches. "Lots of red. I thought you'd like that one."

"I do, but I'm wondering if it's too much like my dress. I want continuity, but I don't want overkill, you know?" she said looking at the other pictures again.

"Amy, if you like these dresses, we'll try them on and let you pick. None of the other dresses come in so many shades of red. I think we should go with this one. I even found something really close to it for the flower girls." Michelle said handing her the picture.

"Oh, that would be perfect. That's going to be perfect. Yes, depending on what these dresses look like on you guys, I'd say the dresses are covered. How much are they?" she asked.

"They are one hundred fifty dollars, but that doesn't include the cost of alterations." Michelle said.

"Do you think Kensi and Nell are going to be able to afford the dresses?" What about shoes? We can't really wear heels on the sand." She said.

"We can all go barefooted. Has Callen decided what he wants the guys wearing?" Michelle asked.

"No, I think he wants to wear a jacket, Sam, Eric, Ricky and Gibbs will wear just a button-up dress shirt. I don't know it he's going to try to match the red of the dresses or what. I need to talk to him about that." She said jotting a note in the notebook.

"Invitations, have you guys even looked at invitations?" Michelle asked pulling the thick binder they borrowed from the stationary store.

"We can order the invitations until we find a place for the reception. What's the smallest amount of invitations we can order. I think there are only fifty people including the wedding party on the guest list." She said, scanning the guest list.

"Why don't you have the reception here?" She suggested.

"Here?" she said looking out into the yard. "We could, but it would take a lot to get the yard in shape. It would be thousands of dollars in landscaping, irrigation system, and lighting. Not to mention the decorations. We'll have to rent tables and chairs, the linens, the whole nine yards."

"Well, we should see how much it would cost to rent a hall, have it at a restaurant or fix up the yard." She suggested.

Amy looked out the window and saw Callen pulling in the driveway. Quickly she grabbed the pictures of the bridesmaid's dresses and put them in the back of her notebook. Michelle wondered what she was doing until she heard the car door slap. He opened the door and turned around to watch Sam pull in behind him. Callen hung his keys on the hook by the door and set his bag by the door. Sam followed him into the house.

Callen went to the table and kissed Amy. "Hey, how was your day?"

"Not bad, how was yours?" she asked wanting another kiss.

"Happy it's Friday." He smiled.

Sam kissed his wife and gave Amy a wave. "Hi Sam. I didn't expect you guys for another few hours."

"We wrapped up the case and were ninety percent done with the reports when Sam and I started a paper fight. Needless to say Hetty sent us home." He laughed. "Sam you want a beer? Amy, Michelle beer?"

"Sure, G." Sam said.

"Yes, please for Michelle and I." Amy told him.

Callen grabbed four bottles of beer and brought them to the table. "So what have you guys been working on?"

"Well, we found the bridesmaid's and flower girl's dresses. Honey, what are you and your guys going to wear?" she asked knowing she was going to get a smart-ass answer.

Callen looked at Sam and smiled, "Clothes."

Amy shook her head. "How did I know something like that was going to come out of your mouth?"

"Sorry. I was thinking button up short sleeved dress shirts and either black or white slacks." He said being serious.

"Are you going to wear red like the girls?" she asked.

"I don't know we've got a year to think about it, why are you stressing yourself out over all of this?" he asked kissing the top of her head.

"The sooner we get this stuff taken care of, the less we have to do the closer we get to the wedding." She told him.

"We'll look at all of this stuff this weekend, okay?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be fine." She said stretching.

"Come on; let's go sit on the porch for a while before we order the pizzas." Callen said pulling her out of the chair to him.

"I love you." He said between kisses.

"I love you too."

Callen ran upstairs and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. He came out and sat next to Amy and put his arm around her.

At four, Amy went in and ordered the pizzas, she noticed a car parked across the street and moved to the window for a closer look.

Sam was coming in to get another round of beer when he saw her. "What are you looking at?"

"This car is there all the time. I can't figure out where it belongs, it never parks in the same place. It's been on our side of the street too." She told him.

"Does Callen know about this?" he asked.

"No, it's always gone by the time he comes home." She said.

"Hey G. Come here for in minute." Sam called.

"What is it?" he asked walking up behind them.

"Amy says it's here almost every day, never parks in the same place and is gone by the time you get home." Sam said.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Callen asked looking from Amy to the window.

"I always forget until I see it again." She told him.

"We need to get the plate numbers and have Eric run them." Callen said heading for the stairs.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, the car was leaving. Sam and Amy called up behind him, Callen made it back down in time to see the tail end of the car pass. He looked at Amy and saw the concern in her eyes. They'd had a month or better without anything happening. She had said once before that it was just a matter of time. He led her back out to the patio; he pulled out his phone and texted Nell, asking if the results of Awan's autopsy had come back yet. She said she'd check first thing Monday morning.

Saturday afternoon, Callen and Amy were tired of putting around the house and decided to take the kids to the beach. Callen pulled the Mustang out of the garage and put the top down. Amy got the kid changed and packed the towels. The kids had so much fun playing in the water and walking along the beach with Callen and Amy. They grabbed hot dogs from a vender and watched the sunset. Callen walked with Jenny on his shoulders, Amy on one side and Kristy on the other. Ricky walked on the other side of Amy, holding her hand. It was nights like this that were utterly perfect. No one got mad, no one argued. He wished all nights could be like this.

He watched from the pier as they walked down the beach. The kids were picking up seashells and passing them to Amy. He noticed how Callen looked at her and touched her. How he looked at the kids. Quickly, he snapped a couple pictures and limped back to his car. His leg was still sore after the attack on his transport. He couldn't risk going to an orthodox doctor or hospital, so he went the shady, back alley sort. The infection the son of a bitch caused then he was digging the bullet out of his leg was still raging. He would have to go to yet another doctor for yet another anti-biotic. Back in the car, he continued to take photos of them.

They walked the three miles back to the car and headed home. Jenny was asleep by the time they got home; Callen carried her up the stairs to bed. Ricky and Kristy took turns showering before they came down to say good night. Callen and Amy fell asleep downstairs, woke around midnight and went up to bed.

Callen rolled over and saw Amy was still in bed, even on the weekends it was rare that she stayed in bed past six. He took advantage of her presence and pulled her to him, kissing her neck.

"Mm, good morning to you too." She said.

"What are you still doing in bed?" he asked.

Amy rolled over to face him. "I thought I'd stay in bed with you."

Callen pulled her leg over his hip and slid his hand up to her hip and around. Amy smiled and bit her lip when he found the spot he wanted. His kissed her neck and she moaned, pulling him closer. He could feel her wetness, giving her a low growl. Ricky opened the door and walked into the room just as Callen had taken things a step further. Callen buried his face in her neck in frustration. "Damn it," he said against her skin.

"What's wrong Ricky?" she asked breathlessly.

"Can I play the XBox?" he asked.

"Yes honey, I'll get up in a little bit and make breakfast." She told him as Callen moved inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her body. She dug her nails into his back to get him to stop.

Trying to hold his composure, Callen told Ricky again that they'd be down in a while to make breakfast. As soon as he closed the door, Callen rolled Amy to her back and continued making love to her. Two hours later, Callen and Amy pulled themselves out of bed and headed down stairs. Callen made her a cup of coffee and pawed at her rear as he delivered it. Then kissed her and walked away. He walked out the front door to get the paper and looked both up and down the street, no sign of the car.

Callen sat at the table and separated the ads from the rest of the paper. He offered up the comics and all three kids came running, Jenny wound up running away with them because Kristy and Ricky were too busy wrestling around on the floor. Callen looked through the sports section while Amy finished cooking the bacon. He looked out the window from time to time. Callen had caught a glimpse of a man yesterday while they were at the beach. The man would be there one minute, Callen would look back and he was gone. Then he would reappear somewhere else on the beach or the pier or the parking lot.

Amy announced that breakfast was ready. Callen cleared the paper and helped Ricky set the table. They sat down to a nice breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon. Callen saw Amy looking out the window again. He tossed his napkin on the table and walked out the door. Within just ten yards of the car, he saw exactly who it was. Awan started the car and sped off. Callen was able to get the plate number. He called Hetty on his way back into the house. As he walked into the house he looked at Amy and the kids, and motioned for them to stay where they were. Amy told them to finish their breakfast then go upstairs to get dressed. Callen walked into the spare bedroom, closed the door and sat at the desk.

"Hetty, we have a problem. Awan is still alive." He told her.

"It can't be?" she said. "Are you sure?"

"I saw him myself, Hetty. It's him." He said.

"Where, Mr. Callen?" she asked.

"Outside the house. Amy said he's been here on and off for weeks and I think I saw him at the beach yesterday." He said.

"How many weeks?" Hetty asked.

"I don't know. She mentioned something shortly after we got back from El Paso. I didn't think anything of it." He said.

"Amy's been through a lot, you know that as well as I do. She may be a little paranoid as a result, but never underestimate her. Listen to her no matter how foolish it may sound. I should've made arrangements with an alarm company before she and the children moved in. I will call them now. You might want to look over the house see if there is anything out of sorts."

"What should I be looking for?" he asked

"Camera, microphones, that sort of thing." She said.

"Alright, I'll call you if I find anything." He told her and hung up, then set his phone on the desk.

Callen didn't see her in the doorway. She held two cups of coffee in her hands. Quietly, she walked across the hardwood floor and set one in front of him. "It's Awan isn't it?"

She was standing next to him. He put his arm around her waist and rested his head on her chest. The last thing he wanted was to scare her, "Yes it's him. I'm ninety percent sure. Hetty says we should go over the house look for cameras and microphones."

"Oh my God, do you think he's been in the house?" she asked.

"I don't know, Amy. Let's start looking in the vents, on the light fixtures." He said looking up at her.

"Wired or wireless?" she asked,

He looked up surprised and smiled. "Probably wireless. You're a photographer; look in an area that would give the best view of a room."

"Lord," she sighed, "He could've been watching us this morning."

"Hope he enjoyed it." Callen laughed.

"Yeah, it's funny until our video winds up on some amateur porn site. I'd love to hear what Hetty says about that one." She smiled.

He pulled her to the desk and sat her on it. "What do you say we give him one last really good peep show?"

"You're joking, right?" she said with her legs already wrapped around him pulling him closer.

"No, I'm not joking." He said kissing her.

"No more of that until we make sure there are no cameras in the house. It gives me the creeps thinking he could be watching us." She told him. "I told the kids to go get dressed after they ate. I don't want them in the house while we look for the cameras and whatever else he may have planted."

"Good idea." He said. "Well, it's going to take them a few minutes to clear out of the house, want to make out for a while?"

Amy laughed. "You're unbelievable. This morning wasn't enough for you?"

"You know the mornings are just a prelude to more fun later on in the day." He smiled.

"Yes and I absolutely hate it when you start something in the morning and then run your happy ass to work." She said pulling on the collar of his shirt.

"Ah, is that why you send the kids out to play as soon as I walk in the door?" He laughed, kissing her neck.

"Yes." She smiled, kissing him.

The kids yelled that they were going out back to play, Callen and Amy started down stairs in the living room. Amy walked back into the kitchen to get another cup of coffee and saw Nell and Eric walking up to the door.

"I guess Hetty called Nell and Eric, want to let them in?" she asked.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming over." Callen said as he let them in the house.

Amy offered them coffee. While she made them both a cup, she watched them both walk through the house with a small handheld device. Callen walked to the kitchen and stood next to Amy watching them. Down stairs, they found a camera in every vent, on the cable box in the living room, the light fixture above the table. Much to Amy's embarrassment, they found several cameras in their bedroom, all with a good view of the bed. Cameras were also found in the bathrooms and in the kid's bedrooms. All told over twenty cameras were found, no microphones.

Nell called Hetty to let her know what they'd found. Hetty told her that one of the alarm companies would be out between twelve and three that afternoon to install a security system and asked that either Nell or Eric stayed and run a quick background check on everyone who set food in the house. Both Nell and Eric stayed.

"Nell, I think we may have found the bridesmaid's dresses if you want to take a look at it." Amy said while they waited.

"Yes, I'd love to see it." She said following Amy into the spare room.

Amy showed her the picture, but also asked. "Nell do you have a gun?"

Nell gave her an odd look and hesitated to answer. "I do, it's my service weapon. Why?"

"I've been thinking about asking Callen about me getting a gun for a while now. I don't know that I'd feel any safer with it, but I need a way to protect the kids and me when he's not home." She said.

"Have you ever used a gun?" Nell asked.

"It's been a few years. I was a pretty good shot." She told Nell.

"I don't think Callen will have a problem with it. It might make him feel better about leaving you and the kids. Do you want me to talk to him about it?" Nell asked.

"No, I can do it. Thank you." She said and smiled.

He was furious, they'd found his cameras and destroyed all of them. He rather enjoyed watching their mundane life. Without the cameras, he knew it was time to shake things up a little. He flipped to another set of cameras and watched as she made lunch for her children. A smile crossed his face at the thought of how many days she had left on this earth. Kahn may have changed his plans, but he didn't. He would see his mission through to the end. From the video feed, he clicked on a bookmarked cheap travel site and booked a flight to Syracuse-Hancock International airport. He also made a reservation for a rental car. Scoffing at the price of his last-minute flight, he pulled a credit card from his wallet and paid for the flight.

Amy started making the tortillas for dinner just after lunch was done. Callen, Nell and Eric watched as she rolled the dough and cooked each tortilla. Knowing she's have more than enough for the enchiladas she was making, she let them eat some of them. Callen asked if she had everything she needed to make her Pico de Gallo. After checking, she told him she needed a few more tomatoes, a lime or two and chips. They guys ran to the store to get the stuff she needed. While she began cutting everything she had there. Twenty tomatoes, two onions, eight cloves of garlic, two limes and a large bunch of cilantro later, she handed Callen a large bowl full and put the rest in the refrigerator.

"Do you always make so much?" Nell asked.

"Yes, I do. I use it in everything and with Callen and I eating it, it doesn't last very long." She told her.

"This is so good." Eric said with his mouth full.

"Wait until you taste the enchiladas." Callen said.

"Where did you learn to cook? I've smelled some of the leftovers you've sent to work with Callen and they smell so good." Nells said.

"Everyone, I watch other people cook, that cupboard is full of cook books." She pointed behind her.

"Do you make your sauces from scratch?" Eric asked.

"No, I'm working towards that. I'm content to use the canned or jarred sauces." She said going to the refrigerator and pulling out the chicken mixture she made yesterday morning. Nell inhaled deeply when Amy opened the top on the container to stir it.

The alarm company arrived just after two o'clock. Everyone checked out and had a clean background. All of the windows and doors were equipped with sensors that would sound if they were opened. If the alarm was on, they had thirty seconds to disarm the system before a signal was sent to the company and the police were called. One of the installers added an application to Amy and Callen's phones that would allow them to lock and or unlock any one of the doors into the house, disarm the system and turn on the lights downstairs. After the installers left, Nell and Eric added a few of their special touches to the system.

Amy pulled the huge pan of chicken and cheese enchiladas out of the oven just as they finished. Callen helped pull the table apart and put in one of the leaves so there was enough room for Nell and Eric at the table. Then the kids were called in and after washing up, they set the table. There was total silence at the table save for the sound of the utensils on the plates or someone setting a cup down. Amy was so pleased by how well dinner went over. Callen saw the smile and knew she felt safe again.

Amy packed up some of the leftovers and sent them home with Nell and Eric. As they were leaving, Nell told her to talk to Callen about what they'd talked about earlier and she agreed. After he closed the door, Callen asked what they'd been talking about. She looked into the living room at the kids and took him out to the patio.

"I've been considering getting a gun. Something I can protect the kids and myself with just in case, if you're not home or something." She said as he pulled her onto his lap.

"Have you ever used a gun?" he asked.

"Yes, I've used both a pistol and rifle, but it's been a few years." She said.

"Do you want a rifle or pistol?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"I shot my ex-father-in-law's three fifty-seven and about blew out my shoulder, so I was thinking a nine mil. Or something like that. I don't want some little twenty-two either. I don't want to just put a bullet in someone, I want to PUT a bullet in someone." She explained.

"I'll talk to Hetty about it. Maybe we can have you come into the range so I can see how you'd handle it, give you pointers." He told her.

"You don't think it's a dumb idea?" she asked timidly.

"No, it's a good idea, something I've been thinking about for a while too." He said.

They went back into the house and watched TV with the kids until it was time for them to go to bed, Callen and Amy watched the news and then went to bed themselves.

Just after lunch, the kids were back outside playing, Amy had the TV on just for background noise as she folded laundry. Her attention shifted to the TV when the network broke into the show with breaking news. She watched footage of an explosion in a residential neighborhood in small town just outside of Syracuse, New York. She went back to her laundry until the shot panned out to show the size of the property and its proximity to the closest neighbor. In horror, she reached for the phone and called Callen.

"Amy, calm down. One more time." He said trying to get her to slow down.

"Damn it Callen turn on the TV, the CBS station, its Kathy's house." She said.

Callen stood and went to get the remote for the TV in the bullpen. As he turned it on, the rest of the team joined him. "Are you sure that's her house?"

"She showed me pictures of the property; they showed the vehicles in the driveway. I'm telling you it's Kathy's house." She said.

Then he saw it for himself. Her Arcadia and Kevin's truck, he'd recognize the stickers in the back windows anywhere. "Oh my God. Amy, I'll call you back." He said.

"That is Kathy's house," Kensi said. "I remember her showing us the pictures. God I hope they weren't in the house when the fire started."

Callen turned and ran up to Ops. Nell and Eric were watching it too. "He would've had to have flown into Syracuse, right? Check with the airport security cameras see if we can figure out when he flew in and if he's left yet."

Nell and Eric went to work hacking into the airports cameras. Within twenty minutes, Hetty and the rest of the team watched Awan deplane and walk through the terminal to the car rental counter. He carried no baggage, but they noticed immediately he was walking with a limp. Awan took the rental company bus to his car and drove out of the airport and got onto the eighty-one headed south. Nell checked with the flight manifest and found that Awan had booked under the name of Ronald Steinberg. She searched for his return flight reservation and found that he would be returning to the LA area on a red-eye, landing at two this morning.

Nell contacted the authorities in New York to aide in the investigation. They shared all of the information they had been gathering on him over the months prior to his 'death'. Airport authorities and other agencies coordinated an effort to apprehend Awan when he arrived for his return flight. The rental car was found abandoned and he never checked in for his flight. The trail had gone cold.

Days later, they learned that Kathy and the kids were shot to death before the house was set on fire. The FBI handled the investigation since Kathy was no longer under NCIS protection. Amy was deeply disturbed by Kathy's death. No one blamed her. Hetty agreed that Callen could bring Amy into the mission to use the shooting range. The kids sat in the bullpen while Callen showed Amy how to take apart and clean his pistol. After she proved that she would properly reassemble the weapon, he took her into the range. Sam, Kensi and Deeks were already there, getting in their weekly range time.

Callen remembered Amy saying that she had shot a pistol in the past, so he told her to go ahead. He watched as she did everything properly, took aim and fired her first round. The others stopped shooting as Callen brought her target to the line. He was impressed when he saw that the first shot was right through the center of the chest. Callen sent the target back to the two hundred yard marker. They watched as she unloaded the rest of the clip, dropping only two shots off the target. He noticed she shot left-handed, and found it odd since she was a right-handed person.

Hetty walked in to the range and looked the target over for herself. "When was the last time you shot?"

"Junior year of high school." She answered looking at all of the smiling faces staring back at her.

"That's very impressive for not having picked up a weapon in eighteen or nineteen years." Sam told her.

"Mr. Callen, I think it's safe to say Amy knows what she's doing. Have her pick out her weapon and I'll help with the background check would you like me to see what I can do about getting her a concealed- carry permit?" she said.

He looked at Amy. "Would you carry a weapon outside the house?"

"Probably not." She said taking off the protective glasses.

He thought about it before he answered Hetty. "Just to play it safe, let's see if we can get one for her."

They walked into the armory to clean their weapons. Callen was impressed when she handed him his service weapon and he only had to do one or two minor things to it. He asked her what she thought of the weapon and she said it wasn't too heavy and didn't have too much kickback. She sat and listened to the rest of the team talk as they cleaned their weapons.

Awan was off the grid for almost a month. Amy's background check came back clean and Callen ordered her a pistol very similar to, if not exactly like it. The day he picked it up for her, he wrapped it in gift wrap. She laughed hysterically when he gave it to her. Hetty was able to get her a concealed carry permit and Callen insisted she carry it with her whenever she left the house. It became more of annoyance for her than anything else.

Carole and Pat flew in for the weekend for the first fitting of her wedding dress. Michelle, Kensi, Nell and Kristy went with them to try on the bridesmaid dresses Michelle had found a few weeks back. Amy stared at her reflection

Amy looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. She loved the dress and hoped her Mom and Sister would too. Turning to look at the back of the dress, she decided it was time to show them. Amy pulled the curtain back and stood there holding her breath waiting for their response. Of course, Michelle, Kensi and Nell loved the dress the moment she'd picked it; they made their comments about the dress and walked around her doing this or doing that.

As the moments passed without any word from her Mom and her heart sank. She didn't need her Mother's approval, but she so wanted it. The room fell silent; Michelle, Kensi and Nell were standing around her.

Amy's mom stood and walked around her, looking the dress over. "It's not really something I envisioned you wearing."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked looking down at the dress.

"It looks nice on you, but I'm not sure it's THE dress." She said.

Amy dropped her head and let her shoulders fall. "We're getting married on the beach. I didn't want a full formal gown."

"I don't know why you can't wait a while longer to get married. Why does it have to be next summer, put it off for another year, Amy."

She knew this was coming. Felt it in her gut, which is why she didn't invite her Mom and Sister down when they originally went dress shopping. Ignoring her mother, she said. "Michelle, can you go put on the bridesmaid's dress, I want to see what they're going to look like together."

"Sure, I'll be right back." She said and the room fell silent again.

"Amy, all Mom is trying to say is that we don't understand why you're rushing into this. You're literally jumping from one marriage to another." Her sister said.

"Rushing into things would've been getting married in December like we'd wanted." She said.

"Get married next December, then." Her sister countered.

"Why can't you just let me be happy? Support me instead of constantly criticizing everything I do." She said.

Michelle walked back in with the dress on and stood next to her. "What do you girls think?"

Kensi, Nell and Kristy gushed over the dress. Amy's mother and sister sat stone-face. They decided on the exact shade of red before they turned the attention back to her dress. Amy voice her concern over how much weight she'd lost and the possibility of ordering a smaller size since she planned on losing more weigh over the next year.

"I think we should order a smaller size," the seamstress said looking at how much material she already had to take away. "Let me go see what size our sample is, maybe we can guess on what size to order."

Her mother waited for the seamstress to walk out of the room before she spoke. "How much more weight are you planning on losing?"

She sighed and looked at Michelle. "Probably only another fifteen or twenty pounds."

"Well, I don't want you to look like you did in high school. You looked absolutely sickly until you started gaining weight." Her Mom said matter-of-factly.

Amy ignored her again. The sales consultant who originally helped them walked back into the room with the seamstress. "That's a fourteen, this dress is a twelve. Let's see what this looks like one you."

She stepped back and let the consultant unzip the back of the dress, then helped slip it over her head. They put the smaller dress on her and it zipped without a problem. "Oh yes, definitely at least a twelve."

It wasn't until they pulled back the dressing room curtain that her mother or sister showed any emotion. Her mother immediately started tearing and her sister was in awe. Michelle and the rest of her bridesmaids were speechless as well.

"What a difference a size makes." Carole said wiping the tears. "It's absolutely beautiful on you."

"You like it?" Amy asked.

"I love it." He mom said nodding repeatedly.

The seamstress walked around Amy looking her up and down. She pinched the material gapped at the sides. "I think we should go ahead and order the smaller dress, and then you should come back in as soon as you've lost all the weight you want to lose. It may come down to ordering a ten. We know what style you want, do you just want to put off ordering the dress until you come back in?"

"Are fifteen or twenty pounds really going to make that much of a difference?" she asked.

"I think it will. Look at what you've lost so far, it's an entire dress size. If we cut into the dress, we'll lose everything you love about it. We really do need to start with a dress that comes the closest to fitting you perfectly." She said helping Amy off the pedestal.

As Amy stepped back to take the dress off, Michelle said to everyone, "Callen is going to go nuts when he sees her walk down the aisle in that dress."

Everyone, including her mother and sister agreed.

"Have you guys decided where you're going on your honeymoon?" Sam asked

"No, I thought that was something else she did." Callen said giving him a weird smile.

"Traditionally, the groom is the one who pays for the honeymoon." Sam laughed.

"I didn't know what. So I pay for it means I plan it?" he smiled.

"Have you even looked at the planning book?" Sam asked.

"When have we had the time to sit and look at it together?"

"G, spend one less night a week with the kids and sit down with your fiancée to plan your wedding. Or sit down with the kids; they're part of it too." Sam said.

"Are we supposed to that the kids on the honeymoon, too?" Callen asked,

"No, Michelle and I agreed that we'll keep the kids for you while you're gone." He said.

"I guess I need to see a travel agent." He smiled, thinking of all the places he could take Amy.

Amy pulled her sister aside as they were leaving the bridal salon. "What is going on with you two?"

"What do you mean?" Her sister asked.

"What's with the two of you trying to get me to postpone the wedding?" She asked angrily.

"We just feel we're rushing into this."

"Listen, Callen and I love each other. I've spent far too many years trapped in a loveless marriage. Now that I've found a man who loves me and the kids, I'm going to marry him. You guys can either support that and be happy for us or you guys can go home and not come back for the wedding."

Suddenly, her sister smiled and gave her a hug. "I knew you were in there somewhere. We've been waiting for you pop out."

"What?" Amy asked shocked.

"Amy, we've seen how good Callen is for you. Mom was just worried that you'd gone soft, lost your Bitch side."

Amy pushed her sister into the corner of the store, opened her purse and showed her sister the pistol. "I'm just a different type of Bitch now, Pat."

"What the hell are you doing with that? Does Callen know you have it?" Pat asked.

"Yes, Callen knows I have it, hell he ordered it for me. Don't worry, I have permits for it. Please don't say anything to Mom or Dad, but that guy that was trying to kill my neighbor and I in April never died. The explosion outside of Syracuse, New York last month, that was her house. He killed her and the kids before he burned the house down. I refuse to go down without a fight." She smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

"I'm going to be late tonight." Callen told her.

"Yeah, I figured you might be. How late?" she asked.

"No later than seven or eight, I hope. What time were you going to take the kids shopping?" he asked feeling bad that the school shopping had to fall on her.

"I wasn't going to leave until after dinner, but we'll probably get something while we're out if you're not going to be home." She said.

"Alright. I was looking forward to shopping for school clothes with you and the kids." He said.

"Don't worry, Callen. We understand." She told him.

"I'm going to get back to work. I'll see you later. I love you." He said.

"I love you too." And they hung up.

Amy put the kids in the car and drove them to the Mall. She wasn't looking forward to shopping with the kids by herself. They started at one of the anchor store, fortunately all three kids found clothes they liked. An hour and two hundred fifty some odd dollars later, they moved on to the next store. By the end of the shopping trip, they'd walked from one end of the mall to the other and spent almost a thousand dollars between clothes, shoes and new back packs. Each child had three pairs of shoes to start off the year and at least ten pairs of jeans or pants, short and long sleeve shirts, new underwear, and socks. For the first time ever, she was able to buy them exactly what they needed and then some.

After getting the kids corn dogs, she stopped and got Mongolian Barbeque for her and Callen. They walked back to the van and noticed it was leaking something. After putting the bags in the back of the van, she got on her hands and knees and looked under. Not seeing anything dripping, she headed home. It seemed like all was normal until they were around the corner from the house. She was trying to stop at a red light when even stomping on the brakes took forever to stop and she went skidding into the intersection. She immediately pulled into the gas station on the corner and asked for someone to look at the breaks. The mechanic put the van on the lift and noticed that the break lines were leaking and seriously low on fluid. He changed the lines, filled the system and she was on her way.

Awan sat and waited in the parking lot for her to leave for almost two hours. He was livid when she didn't start having problems with the brakes until she was close to home and at that right next to a damn service station. He followed them home and went straight as she turned into the driveway. It had been a while since he'd been back there; he knew he needed to lay low for a while after Kathy in New York. He needed Amy to drop her guard, get comfortable and forget about him. He drove down a few houses and parked. Looking at his watch, he allowed fifteen minutes to pass before he got out and walked back to the house.

He could see her in the living room going through the bags and separating the clothing. Then she put one of the piles in a bag and move on to the next. When she had finished with the three bags, she moved out of view. He tried to move through the yard so he could see into the dining room window. After moving to the garage, he hid behind a large bush and watched her put the bags in the hall closet. Something caught her eye and she bent back down. He couldn't see what she was doing, so he stood up just as a car turned the corner headed in his direction. Expecting the car to pass them by, he stayed standing upright and watched her.

Callen turned the corner and drive the four or five houses before he pulled in the driveway. He noticed that something was reflecting the lights as he did. Then he saw him move and runaway from the house. Without turning the car off, only setting the parking break, he took off running after him. Amy heard the car pull in, but was worried when he didn't immediately come in the house. She walked to the dining room window and saw the car door open and Callen nowhere to be found. Amy yelled for the kids to stay upstairs, grabbed her pistol from her purse and headed out the door.

Amy walked to the car and tuned the key, put them in her pocket and closed the door. Callen's voice echoed through the neighborhood, she ran to the street and saw him chasing after someone. She recognized the car parked up the street as being the one that was behind her when they left the gas station. The man Callen ran after got in it and left, leaving Callen in a cloud of exhaust. It made a left and disappeared. He was on the phone as he walked back to the house.

"He's back in town. Yep, outside the house looking in the dining room window. She's right here," He said kissing her quickly and returned to the conversation. "With her pistol in her hand. No, you don't need to call anyone. Let them get some rest, it's been a long day. I'll call you if anything else happens."

"That car followed us from the gas station. I had to have the break lines replaced and the system refilled." She said walking back to the Jag with him.

"Did you ask for them so I can take a look at them?" he asked.

"Of course. They're in the garage." She said waiting for him to get his bag out of the passenger seat.

"How did the shopping trip go?" he asked closing the car door.

"A thousand dollars later." She laughed. "Each child has at least ten pairs of pants. I got them all new socks, three pairs of shoes each, underwear and shirts."

"Did you get back packs too?" he asked opening the front door, letting her enter first.

"I did." She told him, and then walked to the hall closet. "Come here for a minute. I want to show you something I'd forgotten about."

"What is it?" he asked as he watched her lift the floor of the closet.

"The basement, we used to play down there while grandma cleaned up after dinner. I haven't been down there in years. You want to come down with me?" she asked flipping on the light switch at the back of the closet.

"I didn't think these houses were supposed to have basements." He said following her down the ladder.

"They're not supposed to. Grandma always told us to keep is a secret. There was never anything down here." She said looking back up at him. "And it looks like there still isn't anything down here."

Callen started knocking on the walls. They were solid. "And you have no idea what it was used for or when it was built?"

"None, I just remember we'd play down here." She said remembering the game they'd play. "We'd pretend we were hiding from someone. They'd come looking for us and questions grandma, she'd deny knowing us or that we were here. The first time I read Diary of Anne Frank, that's what it reminded me of, playing down here."

"Your grandmother used to put you, your brother and sister down here and pretend people were looking for you?" he asked, giving her a half grin.

"What, we were using our imaginations." She was smiling at the memory.

"I think that might traumatize any other child, yet here you stand with a smile on your face." He said kissing her. "Let's head on out. I want to take a look at the brake lines."

The kids were standing at the top of the stairs and yelled down when they heard Amy and Callen's voices. "Can we come down now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Come on down." She said. "Callen and I are going to go out to the garage; we'll be back in a few minutes."

They walked in the garage, Amy pointed to the lines sitting on the shelf. Callen grabbed them and walked into the light. He saw that while yes, they were cut, it wasn't a clean cut. It almost looked like they were nicked. He'd have to take them into work with him in the morning to know more about it.

"Did you see Awan in the mall?" he asked.

"No, but I wasn't really paying attention. He had to have been there watching us." She said.

"You really need to start paying better attention." He told her. "You still keep your pistol in your purse, don't you?"

"Yes, I do still keep in my purse. I hate wearing it. It's awkward." She laughed.

"Get used to it, please. I want you to be able to reach for it and have it right at your side. You'll be dead if you have to fish through your purse to find it." He said brushing her cheek.

"I will try wearing it again." She sighed.

"Thank you." He smiled and kissed her. "Did you eat?"

"No, the kids ate on the way home and I got something for you and me before we left the mall." She smiled. "It's in the microwave."

"Thank you." He smiled.

"Mongolian Barbeque." Was all she had to say and he was in the house.

Callen and Amy ate dinner while the kids modeled their new clothes, something Amy remembered doing when she was a child. It meant everything to the kids since he couldn't be there when they were shopping. He had a compliment for everything the kids put on or showed him. When they were done, they packed it all away and watched a little bit of TV before bed.

Callen walked to Hetty's desk and sat down. "Well, good morning to you too Mr. Callen."

He set the brake lines on her desk. "Awan tried to cut Amy's breaks while she was shopping for school clothes with the kids."

"She's alright, you said last night, she was standing with you." Hetty said, making sure.

"They're fine. She noticed something under the van when they came out of the mall. Nothing happened until she got to the gas station by the house. She pulled in and had them take a look immediately. They changed them and refilled the system."

She smiled. "Lucky girl. You said he was in your yard when you pulled in the driveway?"

"Yes, looking in the dining room window, watching Amy." He said.

"What was she doing?" Hetty asked.

"She said she was putting some stuff in the hall closet when she remembered a room she used to play in under the house." He said looking for her reaction.

Her face lit up, "She remembers that?"

"She does, said the game they'd play reminded her of Anne Frank."

"Yes, Helene did play with them. I'm pleased to see she remembered." She repeated.

"What was the room use for?" he asked.

"I don't know it was there when Helene and her husband bought the house." She told him.

"Would it be alright if I came in a little late on Monday? It's the first day of school; I wanted to go with Amy to take Jenny and Ricky to school." He asked with a slight smile.

"Of course, Mr. Callen, that would be fine. How do you like fatherhood?" she smiled.

"It's funny; I saw the way the kids behaved when Amy and Rick were together. They're completely different. They do what we ask without too many complaints. They rarely fight unless we're goofing off or the comics are up for grabs." He told her.

"They needed stability; they needed quality, family time. The night I went to check on the kids when Amy was in the hospital, I drove up and heard Rick yelling at the children. You don't yell you talk to them, Mr. Callen. It makes a huge difference." She told him.

"True. I enjoy being around them." He smiled widely.

"Alright, we were able to track Awan from Callen and Amy's house to a motel in Inglewood. Unfortunately, we've got enough other cases that we can't fully focus on Awan." Nell told him. "We will be keeping an eye on him, though."

"Thank you. Did you get anything from the mall security cameras?" Callen asked, disappointed.

"I did, Amy parked right in view of the camera and about an hour after she got there, Awan can be seen doing something under her van." She smiled.

"Good, well not good that he did it, but good that we caught him doing it." He told her, flustered.

"I know Callen. Don't worry we will get him." She tried to reassure him. "I'll let you know when we've got anything new."

"Thank Nell." He smiled and walked out of Ops.

Callen and Sam spent the majority of the day following leads and talking to persons' of interest. Everything led them to a dead end. By the time they were released to go home for the night, he was ready to beat his head into a wall. Amy had dinner ready and a beer waiting for him when he walked in. She could tell he was in a mood and had the kids eat while she talked to Callen. He was just frustrated across the board. They knew where Awan was, but couldn't do anything about it. They had no new leads or no decent leads on their current case. Amy left him alone on the patio to check on the kids. By the time she returned, he was asleep. Smiling down on him, she pried the beer from his hand and put it in the refrigerator.

An hour later, he walked back into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. "How long was I asleep?"

She looked up from what she was doing. "Only an hour. Do you feel better?"

He walked over to the table and put his arm around her. "I don't know yet."

"I put it in the refrigerator so it didn't spill. Hungry?" she told him.

"Yes, starving." He said watching her slip past him to get their dinner.

They finally got a solid lead in the case and were off to make an arrest. It simple and sweet, they questioned their man and got a confession and it was done. They wrote their reports and went home. Callen was pleased with how the case fell into place. When he pulled into the driveway, at five he heard the kids playing in the back. Amy was at the stove making dinner.

"I take it by the smile on your face that you guys finally made an arrest in your case?" she said.

"Yes, finally and it's Friday, too. I'm not doing anything but spending the weekend with you and the kids." He said hugging her.

"Good, I'm looking forward to it." She smiled.

"What happened to pizza night?" he asked.

"I decided we'd make pizzas tonight instead of ordering them. I've got ground beef, sausage, and bacon, anything they could possibly want on their pizzas." She told him.

His face lit up. "Ooh, sounds like fun. I don't know why we didn't do this before."

He'd been watching them all weekend. Now they were standing out front waiting for the bus. They didn't notice the car sitting there, he been smarter about how he observed them. Eventually, when she let her guard down, he'd get her. It was just a matter of time. Awan was truly growing tired of this game. The sooner he got rid of her the sooner he could move on to bigger and better things. Amy truly wasn't a threat to him or anyone else. He didn't know why he still pursued her. Once, he actually contemplated leaving her to live the rest of her life with Agent Callen, but he's never given up on anything in the past and didn't intend to start now.

"So what do you think you'll do today since you've got the house all to yourself?" Callen asked.

"I think I'll start looking for a job. Jenny's in school now. I said I'd get a job when she started school." She told him.

"Why don't you wait a while longer, she's only going half-day for now." Callen told her.

"I'm just going to be looking, Callen. It's going to take a while to find a job." She said.

The bus turned the corner; Amy pulled Kristy in and hugged her. "I love you Honey, have a good day."

"I will Mom, bye Callen, love you both." She said giving him a hug.

"I love you too, kid. Have a good day." He said, smiling.

They waved as she and the other students boarded the bus to the middle school. Amy was worried. She always did when it came to the kids, even if they were just going to school. They walked back in the house and waited the twenty minutes before walking Ricky and Jenny to school. Jenny already had her backpack on and was waiting at the door. Every two minutes, she'd ask if it was time to go to school and would sulk when she was told no. Finally, Callen told Ricky to get his back pack. Jenny cheered. Callen and Amy held hands as they walked the kids to the elementary school. Jenny skipped ahead singing one of her made-up song, Ricky lagged behind.

They walked Ricky to class first. He found a few friends from his class last year and was off to play. Amy braced herself as they walked into Jenny's class. She could feel it coming. Amy tightened her grip on Callen's hand. They introduced Jenny to her teacher and showed her where to put her back pack. Jenny took them outside; Callen didn't look at his watch once. He knew Amy was about to fall to pieces at any moment. The bell rang, Jenny realized Callen and Amy had to leave and started crying. Amy bent down as she ran towards them and scooped her up in her arms. It broke her heart knowing this was the last first day of Kindergarten she'd ever have. As Amy stood, Callen hugged both of them.

"Jenny, honey Mommy will be back in a while to get you. We talked about this." He said softly.

"I know, but I'm going to miss you." She cried.

"I'm going to miss you too," Amy said between her tears. "You're a big girl, you've been so excited about going to school for so long. Go Baby."

Amy put her down and watched as she hesitantly took her seat on the red carpet. As Callen and Amy walked towards the door, Jenny gave them a sheepish wave and blew them a kiss. Amy lost it and broke into tears. He rushed her out of the room and off campus. She cried all the way home and was still crying when he left for work. He hated to leave her like that, but he'd gotten a call from Hetty about a new case.

He walked right into Ops as Nell and Eric briefed them on the new case. Sam could tell he really didn't want to be there. It was more of the same; stolen weapons, dead bodies. When they headed out to watch their suspect, Callen was still very distracted.

"Did Amy get upset like you thought she would this morning?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she was still crying when I left, too. I hated leaving her, but we got this case." He said looking out the window.

"You could've asked for the rest of the day off. Kensi, Deeks and I can handle this one." Sam told him.

"Hetty called me in." he said

"I think Hetty called more to see how Amy was doing than to tell you about the case. This is hard on Amy, Jenny's the baby; this is her last first, first day of Kindergarten. It's going to be hard on Amy; she knows Jenny's the last one. Are you guys thinking about having a baby?"

"We haven't really talked about it; in fact we really haven't talked about much more than the wedding and stuff with the kids." He admitted.

"You don't talk?" Sam asked.

"We do, she always asks how my day was and we talk about that, but mostly we're talking about the wedding." Callen said.

"When was the last time you spend time together?"

"Every night, we watch TV together after the kids go to bed."

"That's it, you just watch TV? How long has it been since you two went out alone, without the kids?"

"Months, the last time we went out, was right before Rick took off with the kids." He told Sam

"Are you serious? G, you've got to stop spending so much time as a family and start spending more time just you and Amy. Is she happy with the way things are going?"

"I don't know." He admitted.

Sam started the car and pulled away from the curb. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking you back to the office so you can go home. You and Amy need to spend some time together. You shouldn't have come in today." Sam said.

"Mr. Callen, what are you doing back?" Hetty asked as he walked back into the office.

"Sam brought me back and told me to go home." He told her.

"I have to admit, when I called you this morning I did expect that you'd ask for at least part of the day off." She told him.

"Then why did you let me come in?" he asked, angry.

"Go Home Mr. Callen, spend time with Amy." She told him and walked away.

She woke with a start, in complete darkness. Her head pounded, she tried to remember what happened, but drew a blank. The more she tried to move, the tighter the restraints got. Where the hell was she? What the hell was going on? She heard footsteps but couldn't tell if they were coming or going. Her throat was dry and she tried to swallow. She smelled something again; she remembered that smell and was gone again.

Callen pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. The front door was standing open. Before he walked in, he called for Amy and got no answer. He pulled his pistol from its holster and went in. There was no sign of Amy anywhere. Her keys were in the hook, both the mustang and the van were in their respective garages. Callen called her phone and found it on the counter. He called Hetty.

"She's gone." He said frantic.

"What do you mean she's gone?" she asked.

"Just that, gone. She doesn't go anywhere without her phone, it's on the counter. I've looked everywhere in the house and both cars are in the garages. She's not here." He said.

"Could she have gone to the school?" Hetty asked.

"I doubt it but I'll check." He said hanging up.

"Mr. Hanna, you, Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks need to get to Callen and Amy's now. She's gone missing." Hetty said quickly.

"What about the case?" Sam asked.

"This is our priority right now." She said and hung up.

Callen heard Sam screech around the corner. He was sitting on the front steps with his pistol and phone still in his hand. Sam got out of the Challenger and ran across the street as Kensi and Deeks were coming up the street. By the looks on his face, Sam could tell she wasn't at the school.

"Anything G?" He asked.

Callen just shook his head. Kensi and Deeks were coming up behind him. He turned around and shook his head. Kensi and Deeks walked past them and into the house. Like Callen had told Hetty, Amy's cell phone was sitting on the counter. Kensi put on a pair of gloves and went through the text messages and call log. The last call and text message were from Callen. Kensi felt bad looking at them, but smiled when she read the text. All of the other calls were from her contacts, no unknown numbers.

She walked to the door and asked Callen if he'd gone through her phone. He told her that he called it, but hasn't touched it. Deeks walked out to the porch and looked at Sam then down at Callen.

"How are we handling this?" he asked.

"Like a crime scene." Callen said. "Amy doesn't leave without her phone and she never would've left the front door standing open the way it was."

Hetty pulled up and parked at the base of the driveway. She could tell by the looks on the faces of her agents that it wasn't good news. "I take it she wasn't at the school?"

"Not that they know of. She hasn't signed in with the office and she wasn't in either of the kids classrooms." Callen told her.

"What are you all waiting for?" Hetty asked.

"Are we handling this as a crime scene?" Deeks asked.

"Yes, I told you she wouldn't…" Callen stood and got in Deeks face. Sam had to pull him away.

"Go through the house like you would anyone else's. Forget who owns it and who lives here." Hetty instructed.

Callen and Sam were standing under the shade of one of the Magnolia trees in the front yard. He was looking lost and dejected. What was he going to tell the kids? How long was it going to take to find her? There were too many question and too few answers. He hated this. He felt powerless.

Kensi and Deeks walked into their bedroom and awkwardly looked at the bed. "At least it's better than the bedroll he slept on at his own house."

Kensi walked to her closet and opened it. Amy's clothes were hung neatly on the three rods. There were shorts and other miscellaneous summer clothes sitting on the top shelf. She closed the door and walked to the other closet. Callen's closet was just as neat at Amy's. Deeks opened one of the small drawers on Amy's dresser and immediately closed it with his eyes wide.

"What?" Kensi asked walked over to the dresser. Deeks pointed at the drawer so she opened it then rolled her eyes at him and closed it again. "Gee Deeks; if that one had her bras, you think this one has her underwear?"

"That's more than I want to know about Amy. It's a respect thing. I really don't want to know what's in the third drawer." He said walking away.

Kensi opened the drawer. "Deeks, it's just tank tops." See said holding one up, then looked back in the drawer. "Um yeah, never mind."

Deeks started going through Callen's dresser and found no surprises. He walked into the bathroom and found a myriad of shampoos and conditioner, body washes, razors. "I don't think she took anything with her." He said.

Kensi went back down stairs and out to the front yard. "Where does she keep her gun?"

"If it's not in her nightstand in the lock box, she has it with her." Callen said as he started into the house.

Hetty stopped him. "Let them look. I know you want to help. What time is Jenny out of school?"

"In twenty minutes." He said looking at his watch.

"Why don't you and Sam head to the school. Maybe she just went for a walk." She suggested.

Callen went to Jenny's classroom, looking the entire time for Amy. His heart sunk when she wasn't there. He prayed she was standing next to Sam when he walked out of the school, but she wasn't. Jenny asked as he was putting her in the back seat of the Jag where Amy was. He didn't know how to answer.

"Your Mom is in San Diego with Michelle." He said looking at Callen as he answered. Callen nodded. "Are we going back to the house?"

"For a few minutes, then I'll take her to my house." He said numb.

She woke again when her head hit the ground. She looked up as he shined the flashlight in her eyes. Amy was tied up with her hands behind her. Her mind refused to work. The room went dark again and he was gone. She pushed herself against the wall and tried to sit up. Amy tried to scoot herself around the room trying to find anything that she might be able to cut the ropes with. All she found was a plastic door stop.

Amy could hear footsteps over head, then a voice and a loud bang. She sat there scared. There was noise all around her. In one corner, she saw a shadow dart across the room. Something touched her. She screamed, backing herself into a corner. She crouched as close to the wall as possible.

"Hello," she screamed.

She heard laughter and more footsteps and banging. "Hi." She heard in the distance, but it was right next to her.

Amy watched a figure materialize in the darkness and thought she was dreaming. "Holy shit." She said as it walked towards her. It was a woman, pale and bloody. Then suddenly she was gone. Amy felt something brush her hair; she twitched her head and pulled away. "Get away from me." She screamed. There were voices close then far away and footsteps next to her one minute, across the room the next. This place was going to drive her insane in no time. A cold wind blew past her, someone or something was chirping in her ear, then the other. She was utterly confused.

Callen sat with Jenny on the patio in the back. He didn't know what to tell her when she asked when Amy would be home and had no clue what to tell Kristy and Ricky.

Sam stood in the doorway between the kitchen and patio. He saw the pain on Callen's face. As he walked away, he called Nell. "Please tell me you have something."

"I'm still going through the traffic cams going into and out of the neighborhood." She said.

"What about the city cameras on the streetlights?" he asked.

"Eric's still trying to get into the system." She told him. "How's Callen?"

"He looks about like he did when Rick had the kids, only worse." She said looking in the door.

"I can't even imagine what it's like first the kid and now Amy. Do you think it was Awan?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do." Sam said. "Please, as soon as you have something, call me. Kristy will be home from school in about an hour and Ricky forty-five minutes after that. I need to be able to tell them something."

"I'm doing everything I can." She said.

Kensi and Deeks had pulled a set of prints off of the door and had brought them back to Nell and Eric. "Is this all you were able to find?" Nell asked.

"Yeah, I don't understand why you'd open the door with your bare hands, and then put gloves on." Kensi said,

"Well, we know for sure that it's not one of us or the installers from the alarm company." She said.

"I'm in, finally!" Eric yelled. Nell and Kensi walked behind him and watched the screen, "Let me put in the address and we should be able to see the house. Yup, there's Sam. Call him and tell him to smile for the camera."

"Not right now, Eric." Nell said.

"Sorry. Ok, let's start going back. There's Callen coming home and here we go; a cargo van. I can't see the plates. Let me check another camera." He said changing to a camera down the street. "Got it. Ready Nell?"

Nell stood at her terminal ready to put the van's plate number in the system. "Go ahead."

"California plate number 2YDP771." He said before going back to the original footage.

They watched as the van backed into the driveway, the driver got out of the van and limped to the front door. Amy answered and the man pushed his way into the house. The garage door opened and the driver opened the back doors of van and put something in it. Then went back into the garage, closed the door and walked out of the front door leaving it open. Before he got in the van he waved at the camera and smiled.

"Oh Crap." Nell said pausing and zooming into the face. "I knew it."

"Alright, follow that van." Kensi said pulling out her phone. "Sam, it was Awan. He waved and smiled at the camera before he left."

"Damn, any idea where he took her?" Sam asked seeing Callen walk into the kitchen. Sam walked to the street and out of view or the house.

"We're following the van on traffic cams now. It may be a while before we know where he took her." Kensi said.

"Alright, as soon as you know where she is, call me." Sam said and turned around right into Callen.

"Awan?" was all he asked.

Sam nodded and looked at his phone. Eric sent him the video. He debated whether or not to show it to Callen. He walked Callen back to the house and they watched the video in the kitchen. They immediately went to the garage and started looking. Kensi and Deeks got back to the house fifteen minutes later and walked into the garage. Sam and Callen already had the garage door open; they found a rag in the garage and bagged it just in case. Callen knew it wasn't there when he pulled the Jag out this morning. Deeks took the bag and smells the contents. Sam rolled his eyes, remembering the spinach evidence he'd found on the Aircraft Carrier over Christmas.

"Ether?" he asked.

Sam and Callen nodded. "Looks like it." Sam said.

"Ok, he stopped at the 610 Saint Louis Street in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA." Nell said.

"What's at the address?" Sam asked.

"That's the old Linda Vista Community Hospital." Nell said. "Reportedly one of the most haunted locations in Los Angeles."

"Right, I'm not afraid of ghosts." Sam said. Everyone immediately shot him a strange look.

"Where is she?" Kensi asked.

"Awan stopped at the old Linda Vista Hospital, but we don't know if he actually took her in." Sam said.

"I've hear of that place. Yeah, I think I'll stay here to wait for the kids." Deeks said.

"Don't be a baby, Deeks." Kensi said.

"No, you don't understand. That place is nuts. They've done those ghost hunting shows there. Freaky shit happens there." Deeks laughed awkwardly.

"Fine, you stay here; I'll go get her my damn self." Callen said walking towards the house to get his keys.

"G, you should stay here." Sam said. "For the kids."

Callen turned around and looked at them. He knew Sam was right, but he needed to find Amy. He needed to hold her again. Tell her he loves her again. "Bring her back." He warned them.

Amy had no idea what time it was. The longer she was in the darkness, the more she saw. Figures, shadows, balls of light. She closed her eyes to block it out and images or words filled her head. She saw horrific scenes of drive-bys and stabbings, the more she saw, the closer they got, she felt them closing in on them. The woman appeared again, Amy wished she could free her hands to cover her ears; she didn't want to hear any more.

"Please, just leave me alone!" she screamed.

She heard laughter, evil laughter. Red eyes filled her mind, horrible, demonic red eyes. Amy tried to shake the image, but it held her. She felt burning down her arm and screamed. Hot fowl breath blew in her face; it was like she could see it crouching in front of her. This devil. Amy felt something sharp on her throat, more burning. She opened her eyes and there was nothing there, when she kicked her leg, it was dead air.

More voices in one ear, then the other. Laughter, dragging noises, bangs. She had to find a way out of there. She slid down the wall and lay on her back; she rolled on her side and tried to get to her knees using the wall for support. Finally she was on her feet. She followed along with her back to the wall; she didn't dare turn her back to the room. Amy felt along the wall for the door. When she found one, it was locked; there was laughter. More wall and another door. It was locked and that damn laughter again. She found a third door, before she could find the handle, it opened and she fell backwards.

She heard the echo as she screamed and landed on the floor. There was noise behind her. Amy pushed herself to the wall again and then to her feet. She walked touching the wall, praying to find a way out. The air was old and stale, almost moldy. The feeling in the room changed, not as dark or sinister, but calmer. Amy tripped and fell face first on the ground; she felt the gravel beneath her. She lay there crying for a few minutes. Amy looked around; she heard footsteps from every direction. Then she felt hands on her and she calmed. Soft voice filled her ears.

Callen waited until both Ricky and Kristy were home from school before he told either of them about Awan taking their mother. Neither of them handled it well, but insisted Callen go help find her. Hetty, Nell and Eric had arrived shortly before five to sit with them while they waited for news. He looked to Hetty who nodded her approval. Nothing further needed to be said, Callen hugged and kissed the kids and was out the door.

By the time Sam, Kensi and Deeks got to the hospital, got geared up and waited for a few more agents, it was dusk. The hair on the back of Sam's neck stood on end as they heard painful moans and wails from inside the building. Deeks tried to tell them they didn't want to go in the place at night, but he knew it was now or never. Hetty called Sam to let him know Callen was on his way. The longer they stood listening to the building, the more freaked out Deeks got.

Sam looked at the owner, "Is there any power to this place?"

"No, there hasn't been for years." He said as he watched Sam make sure the magazine in his rifle was full. "What the hell so you think you're going to shoot with those things? They won't do you a damn bit of good against the ghosts."

"The suspect is dangerous. We don't know if he's here with her or not. We aren't even sure she'd here." He said.

"How are we going to do this?"Deeks asked.

"Room by room, building by building." Callen said walking up to the group.

"That could take hours." Deeks said, earning himself a scathing look from Callen. "But I'm not complaining."

"We ready?" Callen asked.

"As ready as we're ever going to be." Sam said pulling down his NVGs following Callen through the door.

Awan had the flashlight in his left hand and Amy's pistol in his right. Carefully, he stepped over the trash and broken glass. He walked down the corridor to the room he left her in. There were footsteps behind him. He spun on his heels panning the flashlight from right to left and then turned around again. He put the flashlight under his arm and reached for the doorknob, there was a loud thud at the other end of the hall. He was either hearing things or going out of his mind, one of the two. Awan turned around again to look down the hall, when he turned back around, the door stood open. He heard scuffling in the room and rushed in, panning the flashlight all over the room. She was gone.

"Damn it you bitch, where did you go." He yelled.

An eerie laughter filled the hall sending chills up his spine. He heard sobbing in one of the other rooms and ran towards the sound. Awan fell forward, swearing he felt hands on his back pushing him. Rolling onto his back, he had the flashlight, looking around him. There was nothing there.

Amy walked along the wall, as if she was being guided by some unseen force. She was calm as she walked. Calm in her thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye, a figure appeared next to her. Amy stopped and pressed her back against the wall. The woman smiled at her, the same women who appeared to her and disappeared earlier. Amy felt an electrical charge in the air and a coldness as the woman reached for her and touched her arm. Warmth spread throughout her body. Her gaze met the women's and she knew she was being led to safety.

The team cleared the first floor, no sign of Amy in any of the administration offices of patient rooms. They headed to the stairwell when they heard voices. Callen stopped and looked around, then looked back at Sam. Out of the corner of his eye, Callen saw a shadow move ahead of them and into the stairwell. He watched as it stood there before him blocking the stairs to the next level. Callen looked down the stairs.

"Which way, G?" Sam asked.

"Down, let's go down into the basement." He said taking the stairs carefully.

Callen stopped at the door and waited for the others to join him. Opening the door, they slipped in one by one. They checked every room and every door. They were half-way down the hall when they heard a loud metallic bang. Kensi and Deeks turned on their heels and checked behind them. When it was clear, they rejoined Callen and Sam. They heard footsteps approaching from the left; Callen took one side of the corridor and Sam the other. On three, they looked down the hall and found nothing but a wheelchair and gurney.

"I told you this place was nuts." Deeks said.

Awan heard footsteps at the other end of the hall. Slowly, he made his way down and hid in one of the rooms. He heard footsteps coming up behind him and a hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, there was nothing there. He shook it off. The hospital bed creaked behind him like the patient occupying it shifted their weight. There was a faint cough or voice, but he wasn't sure. He saw something flying at him, turned around and was hit by a bedpan, it crashed to the floor.

Callen stopped in his tracks, listening to the howl and clanging of metal on the tile floor. He saw the flashlight beam and rushed towards the room. Ten feet back, he saw a figure stand and walk to the door. He signaled the others and they readied themselves. Awan stepped out into the hall. Knowing Sam had his back; Callen dropped his weapon and lunged at Awan, throwing him into the wall. Both the flashlight and Amy's pistol went skidding across the floor. Callen had him on the floor, yelling in his face.

"Where is she?" he yelled. "I'll kill you myself if you don't tell me where she is."

"I don't know," he pleaded. "I swear I left her in the room at the end on the hall and now she's gone. I don't know where she went. The doors were all locked, I have no idea how she got out."

Callen rolled Awan onto his stomach and cinched flex-cuffs onto his wrists. "Please, get me out of here. There's something in here." He begged.

Amy saw a light on the other side of the door; she looked back at her guide and found she was alone. Scared again, she slid down the wall, landing on something sharp. Broken glass, she realized and picked it up, using it to saw at the rope tying her wrists together. After what seemed like forever her wrist were finally free, rubbing her chafed and raw wrists. With a deep breath, she got to her feet and pushed on. One hand ahead of her and one on the wall, she found the door and pushed it open just enough for her to slip through. She heard voices in the darkness and slipped along the wall towards them.

Callen heard a door close and turned to look. Everyone's attention was somewhere other than on Awan. He was able to bring his legs up and slip his hands beneath him so he had his hands in front. Feeling along the floor, he found the pistol and fired wildly into the darkness. Kensi and Deeks fired several rounds hitting Awan in the chest. He fell lifelessly against the wall in a puddle of blood.

Amy heard the gunshots and screamed, not knowing if they were real or in mind like everything else she'd experienced that night. Pain ripped through her hip and shoulder. She fell to the ground.


	19. Chapter 19

Amy tried to stand, but she slipped in her own blood. The cuts on the bottoms of her feet seared with pain. She finally stood and leaned into the wall. Her shoulder and hip burned. Amy listened for a minute; there were whispers all around her. Then she heard Callen's voice.

"Callen?" she yelled down the hall.

The voices came closer, drowning out all other noise. It was like she was standing in a crowd. Amy yelled for Callen again and heard footsteps. She heard her name in the whispers and looked around her. Nothing. She took a step forward stepping on a jagged piece of glass and yelped. Cold air whirled around her; she felt a hand on her elbow and expected it to be Callen. It was the woman again.

"Thank you." Amy said, calmly.

The woman smiled warmly. "You're welcome." She said in a whisper.

Amy saw the bright green indicator light on their NVGs. "Callen, Sam." She called.

"Amy?" Callen called back and ran towards her. He stopped about three feet from her and watched as her companion disappeared.

She stood with open arms, afraid to take a step. "Thank God you're alright." Callen said grabbing her.

"Get me the hell out of here, please." She begged.

Sam called Hetty to let her know that Awan was dead and Amy was safe. Hetty called for an ambulance and the coroner. Callen scooped Amy up and carried her to the others. "Get her out of here; we'll stay with Awan's body." Sam said.

"He's dead?" Amy asked.

"Yes, he is." Callen told her.

"If my feet didn't hurt so badly, I'd kick him a few times. He took my pistol." She told him.

"We'll get it, don't worry." Sam assured her.

Callen carried Amy to the waiting ambulance. They checked her over before heading to the hospital. Within minutes, the rest of the team emerged from the building followed by the ME and the gurney carrying Awan's body.

"I'll be right back." Callen told Amy. As he walked towards the rest of the team, he stripped off his vest and slid the NVGs off his head. "Sam, can you follow us to the hospital?"

"Yeah, not a problem; is she okay?" he asked

"She's got glass in her feet, grazed by a bullet, but she'd going to be fine." He smiled, handing Sam his keys.

Callen climbed into the back of the ambulance and sat next to Amy. He looked her over. She had dried blood on her face and he asked the EMT for a gauze pad and saline. Carefully, he cleaned her face, smiling at her the whole time. There was an abrasion on her cheek; she explained that she'd fallen. When the ambulance got to the hospital, the EMT's wheeled her into the ER and transferred her to one of the beds. There were several nurses waiting to debris her feet. They pulled nearly a hundred shards of glass from her feet, cleaned and bandaged them. Her wrists were checked over and they were cleaned and dresses. One of the nurses noticed the three scratched on her arm and on her neck. Her shoulder and hip were checked and found that she was only grazed by the bullets. After almost three hours a prescription for an antibiotic and pain medication, she was released.

Callen went to the waiting room to get the keys from Sam so he could pull the car around to the entrance. By the time he pulled around, Amy was sitting in a wheelchair with Sam standing next to her. They helped Amy into the backseat of the Jag and headed home. Amy was very silent, mulling over the events of the day. She tried to dismiss the woman in the hospital as a figment of her imagination, but couldn't. Amy was instructed to stat off her feet for a few days; Callen carried her into the house and set her on the couch while the other greeted her before they left. Hetty gave him a few days off to care for her. After everyone had gone, he carried her up the stairs to the kid's rooms so she could say good night and let them know she was okay.

As he got in bed next to her, she pulled him close and wrapped herself in his arms. He knew she'd talk when she was ready and clearly wasn't at the moment. Every time she closed her eyes those red eyes haunted her. She could feel it's breath on her neck and smell it's foul stench. Amy clung to Callen for dear life. That night, Amy woke several times with nightmares. Sweating, shaking and crying.

As the days went on, the nightmare became more common and happened at regular intervals. Gradually over time, he saw her slipping away. Her mood darkened and she spent less time with he and the kids. For weeks she would wake at three a.m. with a nightmare. He'd also noticed that the feeling of the house had changed. It was dark and cold. Callen called Nate several times asking for advice. By Halloween, she was no better and actually had begun to refuse to leave the house. She wanted no part of family life. When she wasn't sleeping next to him, he found her wandering the house.

The odder her behavior became, the more he researched and finally contacted a Catholic priest who specialized in Demonology and Possessions. They agreed to meet and have him observe Amy. Sam and Michelle took the kids for the weekend. Amy felt him before he set foot on the property and became enraged. Callen had never seen this side of Amy and it scared him. She was aggressive and violent; picking whatever she could find throwing it at him or the priest. Within an hour of witnessing her demeanor, she priest pulled Callen aside and asked what happened right before her withdrawal.

Callen explained about her kidnapping and that she'd been taken to the Linda Vista Hospital. The priest's expression changed and left the house. He returned an hour later with another priest and a case. They anointed the house and began reading from the bible and praying in Latin. Amy screamed, yelled and spat at them. Within an hour, Callen could see the old Amy return. Her expression lightened and the brilliant shine returned to her eyes. She was blessed with anointing oils and holy water. Amy slept for the rest of the day while Callen watched her transform back into the woman he loved and knew.

The following day, Callen asked Nate to come talk to her. They two of them sat on the patio for three hours before Nate brought Callen out. Amy sat huddled under a blanket, much like he remembered her doing many times when they were protecting her all those months ago. She explained to Callen her experience in the hospital, the red eyes that haunted her, about the apparition that guided her to safety. When she was done, she gave a weak smile and Callen knew she was going to be alright. Nate returned once a week to talk with Amy and referred her to another psychologist for more in-depth counseling.

Thanksgiving came and went and life started to return to normal, as normal as it could be with his job. He saw that Amy was getting better and went out of his way to sit with her, even if there was silence between them. Nate told him that she'd talk more once she worked through things, just to be patient. The eve before Ricky's birthday, Callen and Amy sat side by side on the couch with a fire burning in the fireplace. This was the closest they'd been in weeks. Her arm was around his neck and her legs across his lap.

"I need to go back." She told him.

"Where?" he asked worried.

"Linda Vista. There's something I have to do." She said looking at him.

"I don't think it's a good idea, I think you just need to put it behind you the best you can." He said.

"No, there's something I need to do." She said with a faint smile.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked watching the fire flicker.

"Please. Nate and I have been talking about it for a few weeks. I want to thank her for helping." She said resting her head against his.

"Nate thinks it would be okay?" he asked brushing her hair with his hand.

"He thinks it will help me put the past behind me. Closure." She said.

"When do you want to go?" he asked looking at her again.

"Tomorrow, early so it doesn't interfere with Ricky's party. I just want to take her some flowers. That's all." She said.

"We can do that. Eric said he was going to come over early to play the new Star Wars game with Ricky. He should be okay with keeping an eye on them while we're gone. Are you sure you're going to be okay going back there? I almost lost you once because of that place; I don't want to lose you again. You're almost back to who you were before it happened." He said referring to her slight possession.

"I promise I will be fine. Then we can decorate the house for Christmas the day after Ricky's birthday." She smiled.

"Alright." He said.

Shortly after Eric got to the house, Amy and Callen left. They stopped at the store and picked up a bouquet of flowers. The owner of the hospital met them and unlocked the door for them. Amy led him into the building and down to where she had seen the woman for the first time. She knelt down and placed the flowers against the wall and silently thanked her. After a few minutes she stood and took Callen's hand. She heard the woman whisper 'thank you', Callen looked at her, and he'd heard it too. As they walked out of the hospital, he asked Amy what the woman looked like. When she was done describing her, he stopped and turned to her.

"She was standing beside you when I found you and then walked away or disappeared or something." He said stunned.

Amy began to cry and hugged him. "She led me back to you. She stayed with me almost the entire time I wandered the halls."

Callen turned around to the empty building and smiled.

By noon, the rest of the party guests arrived. Ricky had invited several of his friends from school and Pendleton. Of course, the rest of the team came as well. It was unseasonably warm for November, Callen fired up the grill and made hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch. They allowed the kids to run wild and play before they opened presents and had cake. By five, most of Ricky's friends had gone home, leaving the adults to sit around talking or taking turns playing video games with the kids. It was nice; Callen didn't see anything but a smile on Amy's face the whole day. After everyone left, Callen and Amy went out to the patio.

"We are okay, aren't we?" he asked.

"Of course we are." Amy assured him. "This was just a minor setback, I'm fine now."

"I just want to make sure. Do you want to postpone the wedding a few more months or do you think we can do it this coming summer?"

"I don't want to wait, Callen." Amy said wrapping her arms around him. "I want to marry you."

Callen kissed her and held her tight before they walked back into the house, locked up and went to bed.

Callen couldn't believe everything Amy was bringing in from the garage. He counted fifteen boxes and Tupperware tubs. She'd forgotten that Rick had shattered all of the kid's ornaments until she opened the tub ready to put them on the tree. Callen left and returned with a box and handed it to her.

"You Mom helped me track these down. Some of them aren't exactly the same, but…" he said smiling at her.

Amy sat on the couch behind her and opened the box. Inside, she found duplicates for a lot of the glass ornaments that they'd lost. She cried and thanked him over and over again. They handed the kids their ornaments and had them place them on the tree. When that box was empty, they dug through the broken ornaments to see what was salvageable. Miraculously, the only ornaments they lost were the delicate glass balls, all of which Callen and her Mom had been able to replace.

The deeper they got into the boxes of decorations the more stories Amy and the kids told. For many years, Amy's mother had given them each an ornament that symbolized something that happened that year. Callen laughed at most of the stories. She asked if he minded if they were on the tree, he didn't and explained that the four of them had been a family longer than they'd been a couple. Amy found Rick's ornaments and allowed the kids to pick which ones they want to keep and which to send to his parents. The kids each picked one ornament and instead of placing them on the tree, took them up to their rooms. Amy packed the rest in a box and set them on a shelf in the garage.

Callen opened one of the other boxes and found stuffed bears and the tree skirt. Embroidered on the skirt was the name Russell. He sat it aside and pulled the bears out, sitting them on the couch. Amy came back in the house and looked at the tree skirt.

"I didn't know whether or not you wanted to use it or not." He said seeing the pain in her eyes.

She picked it up, went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the block set and shredded it before she threw it away. "I think we should probably go do some shopping and make this a little more us, don't you think?"

Callen agreed, they drove to the store and picked a red satin tree skirt, while walking the aisles, they found several other items to add to the decorations. When the cart was full, they decided it was time to check out and head home. Callen helped lay out the tree skirt under the tree, and then set the red candle holders on the mantle. He helped Amy hang the lit evergreen garland around the fireplace. Amy dug in a bag and pulled a silver and red heart ornament and gave it to Callen.

"Your first for our tree." She smiled.

Callen smiled and teared. "Thank you; you don't know how much this means to me."

She hugged him. "Oh but I think I do."

Callen went to another one of the other bags and pulled out an ornament that said "Faith, Hope and Love" a handed it to her.

Amy smiled, shook her head and cried. "How did you remember?"

"I stared at that picture on the wall every night when I slept in the family room." He told her.

Amy never met anyone who ever paid so much attention to the little things before in her life. She loved Callen more than he would ever know. They hung their ornaments next to each other on the front of the tree so where ever they were in the room, they could see them. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, they spent many, many hours in the living room. The only lights on in the room would be the soft glow of the Christmas lights or the light from the fire. Be it watching Christmas movies or listening to Christmas music. It quickly became the favorite room in the house. Many nights, Callen and Amy fell asleep between the fireplace and the tree, wrapped in nothing but a blanket.

The week before Christmas, Callen agreed to have a Christmas dinner, inviting all of their friends and what family could attend. It had been a tradition when Amy was growing up and quickly became a tradition of the Russell-Callen family. They had so much fun sitting around the tables that they set up in the garage; talking, eating and drinking. Amy and Callen supplied the main dish and everyone else brought a side dish and dessert. There was everything from Amy's traditional family Christmas cookies and Cannolis to Kristy's pumpkin pie, homemade sweet potato pies, and pecan pies. You name it, they had it and if it wasn't there, someone made a trip to the store to find it. No one was left out of the conversation or left to sit by themselves. Callen sat back and watch Amy, her smile bright and eyes sparkled.

Amy and Callen extended the invitation for dinner on Christmas Eve for those who weren't going home. Nell, Eric, Sam, Michelle and their daughter joined them. Sam and Michelle left a note for Santa Claus explaining that they weren't going to be home Christmas morning and asked that he please deliver the presents to Amy and Callen's house. The tree was on, a fire in the fireplace, Christmas music playing softly in the background and NORAD's Santa tracker on the TV. The kids had their faces stuck to the windows looking for Santa and his sleigh. By ten thirty, they all had to be carried up the stairs to bed. The adults stayed up a while longer drinking coffee or egg nog and ate cookies, cake or pie. When Callen and Amy went up to bed, he told her than he'd never had a holiday season like this one. He enjoyed every moment of everything she'd planned and looked forward to a lifetime of holiday seasons with her.

"I almost wish we hadn't changed the date of the wedding to June of next year. We'd be married right now." He said sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling her to him.

"I know, but look at everything that's happened in the last few months. It's been such a roller coaster ride." She said.

"All the more reason." He said kissing her.

"We can push the date back to December if you really want a winter wedding. It would mean different dresses, tuxedos." She told him.

"No, we're not changing the date again. I will try to wait as patiently as I can." He smiled.

Like every morning, Amy was up early. But the time he came downstairs, she'd brewed a pot of coffee, started a fire, put on Christmas music, and put the Panettone Bread and breakfast casseroles in the oven. The house was full of the most wonderful aromas. Sam and Michelle were the next to get up, Eric and Ricky, then Nell and the girls. Amy and Callen handed out coffee to the adults while the kids started in on the presents. Amy had never seen so many presents in her life, they were everywhere. Kristy made sure that everyone always had a present to open. Three hours later, there were empty boxes and crumpled gift wrap at every turn. Nell, Amy and Michelle shoved the gift wrap in garbage bags while the guys assembled what toys needed to be. Amy set the casseroles on the counter and within minutes, the kids had eaten their way through the French toast and the hash brown casseroles.

All day, Callen and Amy eyed each other or would find a quiet corner to kiss in. They were exceedingly happy. All of the kids got bike, so mid-day they stood in the front yard watching them race up and down the street. It was a relaxing day, nothing rushed about it at all, and exactly what the day should've been. Amy had gotten a tray of cheeses and cold cuts for lunch, and then put dinner in the oven around six. Nell and Eric headed home to call their families, leaving Michelle and Sam for dinner. The food was good and the conversation was even better. The two families had decided to get together for New Year's Eve. Callen knew Amy's family had a tradition for New Year's Eve and asked the kids if they knew what it was.

"A picky dinner?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mommy will make soup of some kind; she'll make chex mix, different appetizers, sandwiches, chip and dip. She's made collard greens in the past too." Kristy explained to Callen, Sam and Michelle.

"Collards, Amy you know how to make collards?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, I think I'm going to do a pot this year." She said smiling remembering the melt in your mouth flavor.

"Please do. If you need any help with anything, let me know. I'll be more than happy too." She said.

"That would be great. Thank you." Amy said getting the bottle of Moscato from the refrigerator.

Amy started making another batch of cookies and cakes right after Christmas. Knowing they'd be having guests, she wanted to make sure there was enough of everything. On the thirtieth, Amy started the greens; Michelle watched closely and copied the recipe. By noon on New Year's Eve, Amy started the Clam Chowder and cut the vegetables for the veggie tray. She heated up the oven and broke out all of her heated serving dishes and started warming the appetizers. By the time she was done, they had enough food to feed an army. Callen had never seen so much food. Hot wings, jalapeno poppers, little smokies with barbeque sauce, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, salsa, chips, dips, chex mix, soup and collard greens. That was just dinner. When she sat out dessert, there were cakes, cookies and pies galore.

Fortunately, Hetty came over for a while to help eat, and then Kensi and her Mom, Deeks and Nell and Eric joined them towards the end of the night. Callen knew that Amy was happiest then they entertained and looked forward to the Super Bowl party she was planning. The kids told him that Amy always made a dish native to the area of the competing teams. If it was New England, she'd make another pot of Clam Chowder. New Orleans, she'd make gumbo or a Creole dish. He loved her Amy's cooking and knew everyone else did too.

Amy started the New Year off with a visit to the bridal salon. Her final dress order was not a size ten, but an eight. It had been over twenty years since she had seen an eight and it felt wonderful. Amy and Michelle went to lunch and did some shopping after the appointment. By the time they got home, Callen and Sam had the kids fed and were waiting on the ladies to eat. It was good; Amy had to admit, when she and Callen first started living together his cooking left something to be desired. Callen actually cooked the turkey for Thanksgiving by himself. She was proud of him.

Callen's hours grew longer and he spent more nights on stakeouts or on ops. Amy understood, but feared he'd be called away in June. She tried to get him to take the week of the wedding and the week of the honeymoon off, but he could only take the week of the honeymoon. Callen had planned the entire honeymoon and refused to tell her where they were going. He made sure he left no clues or any of the information at the house, because he knew she'd snoop. This was his present to her and he didn't want the surprise spoiled.

A month before the wedding all of the planning was done. Amy was finally able to relax and enjoy their time without stressing. Callen had chosen for him and the groomsmen to wear red button up linen shirts and black slacks. The slacks, dress shirts and the girl's dresses hung in the closet in the guest room. Like Amy snooped for the plans for their honeymoon, Callen snooped for Amy's gown. She wouldn't be picking up the gown until the day before the wedding. Callen was getting excited and whenever anyone mentioned the wedding, he beamed.

"They're not going to like this." Nell said turning to Hetty.

"It's unavoidable. They have to go." Hetty told her looking at the screen in Ops.

"Do you think they'll be back in time for the wedding?" Eric asked.

"I hope so. Call them up." Hetty told Eric.

Eric walked to the balcony and whistled. Callen had a sinking feeling when he looked at Eric that the wedding may not happen. He walked into Ops and expected the worst. He looked at Hetty, then Eric and Nell.

"Where are we going?" he asked with a sigh.

"Mexico." Nell said. "Juan Rodriguez Cisneros was shot and killed during a weapons deal gone wrong. He was meeting with an undercover team who's been trying to gain the trust of the cartel for some time now. In addition to Cisneros' death, one the agent has also gone missing."

"With the weapons?" Callen asked.

"Yes, our agent has been identified as John Robertson. He joined NCIS two years ago after three enlistments with the Marines. He is jump and dive certified and an expert sniper. He has an address in Chicago, Lajolla and Mexico. We've had agent's check his address in Lajolla and Chicago. He hasn't been seen at either address since he went undercover six months ago." Nell told them.

"So we're going to Mexico to find him and get the weapons back?" Sam asked, seeing Callen's frustration grow.

"Yes Mr. Hanna." Hetty said.

"How long are we expected to be gone?" Callen asked.

"I don't know, Mr. Callen. I know the timing isn't the best, but you knew planning the wedding that there was the possibility you would be on assignment." Hetty said.

"You know Amy's going to kill me." He said stone-faced.

"Mr. Callen, you've gone against some of the worst of the worst and you're afraid of dying at the hands of your fiancée?" Hetty laughed.

He shook his head, now that she said it, it did sound comical. "Alright, let me go break the news. What time are we leaving?"

"You have to meet one of the other members of Robertson's team; an agent Chris Cornish at the border in four hours." Nell said.

Callen looked at his watch and walked out of Ops.

Amy had just gotten back from a run and was getting herself some ice water. Callen walked in and wished he didn't have to meet agent whoever in four hours. He looked her up and down and groaned. In the course of a year, Amy had managed to not only lose forty pounds, but tighten everything and she looked damn good. Callen walked up behind her and kissed her neck.

"What are you going home so early?" She asked setting her cup on the counter.

"I have to pack a bag; we have to go out of town for I hope for only a couple days." He told her.

"You're joking, right? You're leaving…" He could see it coming. "We're supposed to get married on Saturday. We've got guests coming in from out of town. Am I supposed to call everyone and tell them not to come or what?"

"Amy, calm down. We knew this could happen when we planned the wedding" he said kissing her.

"I am calm, Callen." She said.

He fought a laugh. "We will be back as soon as we can."

"So if you're not here by what Thursday call everyone and tell them the wedding's been postponed? Till when?" she said crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry Amy. You know I don't control what cases we take." He told her.

She sighed and shook her head. "I should've known something like this was going to happen. How long do I wait before I cancel everything?"

"If we aren't back by Saturday morning, call everyone." He told her.

"I'm going to go shower." She said walking to the stairs.

"Want some company?" He asked giving her the look.

She smiled with tears streaming down her face, "No, honey just pack your bag and call me later."

After he packed his bag, he pulled the curtain back a little, "Amy, I'm headed back to the office. I love you. I promise I'll see you at the altar on Saturday."

She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"As long as you hold all of that against me on the honeymoon." He smiled and looked her up and down.

"I love you, Callen." She laughed.

"I love you, Amy." He said and left.

"How did Amy take it?" Sam asked.

"If we aren't back by Saturday morning, she's going to cancel everything and hunt us down." Callen said.

"I'm sorry G." He said.

"It comes with the job and we both knew that going into this." Callen told him.

Callen and Sam met with Agent Cornish at the San Ysidro border crossing. Cornish told them that they suspected that Robertson was taken captive along with the weapons during the chaos of the shootout. Being that he was a fairly new agent, the team was concerned that his cover would be blown and the entire operation would be compromised. They decided to investigate on their own and only contact Cornish's team if they absolutely had to because of their operation. Cornish also gave them the name of an informant in San Diego; Pedro Sanchez.

Callen called Nell and asked her to check out the informant before they wasted time in San Diego talking to him. Hetty advised them to go ahead and talk with Sanchez. They drove into La Mesa to talk to him. It actually proved to be a very informative conversation. Sanchez told them that Cisneros himself was never at the meeting, but there in San Diego and the man who was found dead was Juan's twin brother Julio. Sanchez said that he'd seen Juan Cisneros and the agent an hour prior to their meeting. He gave them the address of Cisneros' compound and told them they planned on killing Robertson by the end of the week.

Eric confirmed the Ocotillo address and called for another team to join them for the recovery operation. After clearing all of the buildings in the compound, they only found Robertson, not the weapons. Hetty told them that they could return home, but that they had to have recovered the weapons by Friday night or there'd be no wedding. They spent the rest of the week tirelessly following one lead after another. Just when Callen was about to call Amy to tell her he wouldn't be at the rehearsal dinner, they got a solid lead.

Hetty allowed Callen to head to the rehearsal while the team tracked down the lead. Fifteen minutes before they were due at the restaurant, Sam, Kensi and Deeks joined them. Amy thought she was going to have a panic attack.

"You're done with the case, right? You're mine now for at least a week?" she asked Callen.

"Yes, I'm yours until the twenty-third." He smiled, leading her into the restaurant's dining hall.


	20. Chapter 20

Amy took one last look in the mirror and choked back the tears. This was the day she had waited her entire life for. Kristy walked up behind her as she was smoothing her shirt.

"You look beautiful, Mom." She said putting her arm around her. "Callen's going to just die when he sees you."

Amy turned around and hugged her. "Well, I hope he doesn't. Look at yourself. Almost thirteen and you're beautiful."

"You're crying already." Kristy laughed.

"No, I haven't actually cried yet, I'm just very weepy." She said told her daughter looking back into the mirror.

"You're not going to look anymore perfect than you already do." Michelle said joining the two at the mirror.

"You girls look so good. The dresses fit you all perfectly." She said looking at Michelle, Kristy, Kensi and Nell.

"We're ready to start." Her father told her and then walked to the opening of the tent.

Eric, Ricky and Gibbs were waiting to walk their bridesmaid down the beach. The coordinator lines them up in pairs and sent them down the beach keeping in time with the string quartet.

Ricky and Kristy were first down the beach. Where Ricky was four inches shorter than her a year and a half ago, he now stood a full two inches taller. Nell and Eric followed ten paces behind; they smiled awkwardly at each other before they got into a good rhythm. Kensi and Gibbs walked down the aisle followed by the Jenny and Sam's daughter. Michelle was the last to leave Amy, giving her a hug as she walked down the beach.

Callen smiled at each and every one of them as they joined him and Sam at the make-shift altar. Each of his groomsman stopped to shake his hand. Ricky of course gave him a hug and a high-five. The bridesmaid's looked beautiful. Kristy gave him a wave as she walked to the end of the line to the left, then Nell and Kensi. When Michelle walked down the beach towards them, he turned around and gave Sam a smile.

"Are you ready for this?" Joe asked as they set foot in the sand.

Amy was already crying. "I've never been more ready, Daddy."

"Do you realize this is the first time and hopefully the last time I walk you down the aisle?" Her father said.

"Callen is the one I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with." She said.

"Let's go," Joe said escorting down the beach as the string quartet began playing the bridal march. The guests stood momentarily blocking his view of Amy.

He finally saw Amy walking down the beach with her father at her side, she looked beautiful. Her one shouldered gown was long and flowing, but showed her curves well. Her hair was pulled back and curled. Soft tendrils cascaded the sides of her face. Her blue eyes were as bright and clear as the waters in Hawaii. Callen looked at Michelle and gave her a teary-eyed smiled. Sam leaned forward, "Damn G, you've got one hot wife."

"She's not my wife yet." He said leaning back and smiling.

Her eyes were on him the moment he came into view. She smiled from ear to ear and said hi as she stepped to the altar. Amy took his hand and stood facing him. "You look, I have no words." He said with a tear in his eye.

"Friends and Family, we are gathered here today to join Amy and G as one. Through the trials and tribulations of life, they found each other. G has not only falling in love with Amy, but Kristina, Richard and Jennifer. So today we are not just witnessing the union of a couple, we are creating a family; a family that has already shown over the last year that they can survive anything." The crowd laughed as Amy wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"And I ask, G; will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in this union? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?" the minister.

"I will." Callen smiled.

"And Amy, Will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in this union? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

"I will." Amy said, smiling.

"Now, who gives this woman to be married today?" he asked.

"Her mother, her children and I." Joe said happily.

"Now, we will witness the exchanging of their vows to one another. Callen, please repeat after me." The minister spoke and Callen repeated word for word.

"I G, Take you Amy to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through the good time and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. In the presence of our family and friends; I give you my hand, my heart and my love from this day forward." He smiled, wiping a tear from Amy's cheek.

"Amy, please repeat after me."

"I, Amelia, take you G to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. In the presence of our family and friends; I give you my hand, my heart and my love from this day forward." She repeated squeezing Callen's hands.

"The rings please." He asked as Jenny and Sam's daughter walked up, presenting him with the rings. "A circle is the symbol of the sun and earth and the universe, of wholeness and perfection and peace and love. It's worn on the third finger on the left hand, because of an Ancient Greek belief that a vein from this finger goes directly to the heart. These rings mark the beginning of a long journey together. Wear them proudly for they are symbols which speak of the love you have for each other." He said handing Callen Amy's ring. A gentle breeze blew, sending the flowing, soft skirt of Amy's dress dancing.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With it I wed you, and give you my body, soul and heart." He smiled placing the ring on her finger.

"Amy, G's ring." He said handing it to her.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With it I wed you, and give you my body, soul and heart." She said, slipping the ring on his finger.

"G and Amy, in presenting yourselves here today, to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and develop and last, but only if you both decide to make it so: a lasting and growing love is not guaranteed by any ritual. If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the devotion you have for one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, treasure the hopes and dreams that bring you here today. Establish that your love will never be blotted out by the common nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Faults will surface where now you find comfort, and admiration can be shattered by the routine of daily life. Dedication, love and joy can grow only when you nourish them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, trusting your shared destiny just as strongly as you trust in yourselves and in one another today. Only with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives." Callen and Amy looked nowhere but into each other's eyes.

Callen took a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. Amy eyed him curiously.

"G would like to recite Amy's favorite verse." He said.

Amy knew exactly what he was going to read. She had caught Kristy and Callen huddled together a few weeks before and found her college Bible in the guest room on the desk with the chapter marked.

He cleared his throat and began. "I may speak in tongues of man or of angels, but if I have no love, I am a sounding gong or clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy and the knowledge of every hidden truth; I may have faith enough to move mountains; but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give all I possess to the needy, I may give my body to be burnt, but if I have no love, I gain nothing by it. Love is patient, love is kind. Love envies no one, is never boastful, never conceited, never rude; love is never selfish, never quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs, takes no pleasure in the sins of others, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, its endurance." Callen's hands were shaking. Amy placed her hands on his to calm him.

"Love will never come to an end. Prophecies will cease; tongues of ecstasy will fall silent; knowledge will vanish. For our knowledge and our prophecy alike are partial, and the partial vanishes when wholeness comes. When I was a child I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child; but when I grew up I finished with childish things. At present we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but one day we shall see face to face. My knowledge is now partial; then it will be whole, like God's knowledge of me. There are three things that last forever: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of the three is love." Amy wiped a tear from his eye and smiled as he put the paper back in his pocket.

"Ladies and gentleman, it is my great honor and privilege to introduce you to G and Amy Callen. G, please kiss your bride." He said.

Just as the sun was setting, Callen and Amy made it official and sealed their union with a kiss. A kiss that was simple, but passionate and loving. Callen pulled her close and kissed her again and turned to their guests. With smiles, they walked back up the beach to wait for the guests to head for the reception.

"We're married." He smiled kissing her. "You're my wife."

Amy smiled from ear to ear. "…and you're my husband."

"I love you." He said and she repeated the sentiment.

The rest of the wedding party joined them and they exchanged hugs and brief conversation. The photographer led them back down the beach to take the pictures.

The guests were escorted to a large yacht, once they boarded, they were offered cocktails and cheese and crackers. Fifteen minutes later, the bridal party boarded, entered the dining room and the yacht left the harbor. The DJ introduced the attendants as they entered and took their seats at the head table. Amy and Callen walked in hand-in-hand and immediately took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

It was magical watching the two of them glide across the floor. They looked deep into one another's eyes as the swayed back and forth and sang the lyrics of the song Wanted by Hunter Hayes to each other. When the song ended, they kissed and walked to the head table.

Before dinner was served, Sam and Michelle gave their speeches as the Best Man and Matron of Honor. Their toasting flutes were raised as smiles and kisses were exchanged. Dinner arrived; Callen and Amy elected to start visiting with their guests. Amy led him to a table she had set up, there was no one actually sitting at the table, but there were name cards and pictures. He was in awe as he walked around the table. There was a picture of his mother, sister, his grandfather, Amy's grandparents and her great grandmother.

"Thank you, I can't believe you did this." He smiled taking her hand and kissing it.

"They all needed to be a part of this too." She smiled.

"Would you like to meet the rest of my family?" she asked.

"Yes, then I'll introduce you to the rest of Gibbs' team." He smiled.

Amy introduced her husband to her brother, sister-in-law and their daughters. It had been almost six years since she'd seem them. She led him over to her sister, brother-in-law and their three children. They talked in a group for a while before moving on.

"Amy, this is Abby, the forensic tech at our DC office. Dr. Mallard their ME, his assistant Jimmy and his wife Bree, Tony, Ziva and Tim. This is Director Vance, sir I'm glad you could make it." Callen said shaking his hand.

"Callen, Amy I wouldn't miss this. I've been hearing a lot about the two of you for a while now. Amy, Hetty speaks highly of you." He said shaking Amy's hand.

"I hear good things about you as well, Director." She smiled, it was no lie. Hetty and Gibbs both spoke fondly of him. At the rehearsal dinner, Gibbs told Amy about Director Vance's wife's passing a couple years ago.

Abby was waiting impatiently to give both Callen and Amy huge hugs. They spoke for a while with both teams surrounding them. After a while, Amy's family joined the group. The music started and Amy started dancing with her nieces and Jenny. Callen stood back and laughed as she spun the girls. A slower song came on; Callen asked the girls if they minded if he stole her for a dance. They giggled as he kissed her and led her to the dance floor.

Amy didn't remember the name of the song; she was concentrating on the look in Callen's eyes. "I've never seen you like this."

"I've never been so happy." He told her. "I can't believe you're finally my wife."

"A dream come true, this has been an absolutely perfect day." She smiled.

"Were you nervous at all today as you were getting ready?" he asked kissing her neck.

"Just that I'd trip and fall coming down the aisle or something," she laughed. "But no, I wasn't really nervous. I've been waiting for this day for so long."

"So have I. I can't get over seeing you walking down the aisle; it was like one of those soft focus shots, like an angel. All you need is a set of wings." He said smiling.

Callen spun her and pulled her back again, kissing her softly on the lips. There was no one else in the world at that moment but them. It was perfect. The song ended and Ricky walked up asking if he could dance with his mom. Callen backed away and Amy started dancing with Ricky. The crowd laughed as he tried to spin her and she crouched down to fit under his arm. Amy stopped for a moment and took off her strappy heals, three inches shorter, they tried it again. She still had to bend down, just not as much.

Callen found Kristy talking with her cousin and Lauren and asked if she'd like to dance. She turned red and walked to the dance floor with him. It was cute. Amy watched them swaying back and forth. Callen watched Kristy, realizing she truly did look so much like her mother. "You look so grown up. Please stop growing." He asked.

"Mom keeps saying that too." She smiled.

"I'm going to have to invest in some pretty heavy firearms and baseball bats to keep the boys off you aren't I." he laughed.

"Mom said she was going to dig a moat around the house and put alligators in it." She laughed knowing Amy heard her.

"That's right and bars on your windows." Amy laughed pulling the three of them into her arms.

"I love you guys." Callen said as the song ended.

The DJ announced the father-daughter dance. Amy immediately began to cry. The last time she danced with her father was well over thirty years ago and she stood on his toes. They danced to Unforgettable by Nat and Natalie Cole.

He smiled as he walked over to her. "I honestly never thought we'd get this moment. You ran off the first time you got married and you and Rick didn't have a wedding either. Callen's a very good man, please don't screw this up."

"I promise I won't do that. If I screw this up, I'll never forgive myself. I don't think the kids will either." She said dancing with her father.

"Speaking of kids, are we to expect another grandchild in the near future?" he asked.

"We've talked about it, but aren't planning. If it happens, it happens. Believe me, it wouldn't be for a lack of trying." She said and turned red. "Sorry."

"It's alright, you're a grown woman. A married woman again." He smiled.

Callen walked to the dance floor with Carole and started dancing. Amy looked over at her mom who was talking with Callen.

"Do you mind if I dance with your mother? It's been a while." Her Dad asked.

Her parents were due to celebrate their forty-fifth wedding anniversary. Through her Mom's illnesses, her father never walked away. He stood by her side, even neglecting his own health at times. "I'd love to see you two dance." She told him.

Joe stepped over to Callen and Carole, "Callen, would you mind if I dance with my wife? It's been a few years."

"Of course not, Joe; nothing against you Carole, but I'd much rather dance with your daughter." He smiled looking from Joe to Carole and then Amy.

"Please, take care of her, Callen. She's been through so much." Carole said putting her hand on his cheek.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled and took Amy's hand.

In a quiet moment, Callen and Amy slipped out onto the deck and looked out at the open water. The full moon hung overhead casting a blue light over everything. Callen wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known, in every way, shape and form. The things that you've faced and overcome are just." He stopped, thinking about how to say it. "Miraculous, for lack of a better word."

"I couldn't have gotten through any of the things that happened over the last year without you." She smiled.

"We make a pretty good team." He said smiling down at her.

"We do, don't we." She smiled, resting her head on his chest. They stood there for a few more minutes until Sam found them.

"We wondered where you two had wandered off to." He smiled as he crossed the deck to them.

They turned to look at him smiling. "Sorry, just wanted a couple minutes alone." Callen said.

"No worries, G. Amy, next to Michelle, you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen." He said.

"Thank you Sam." She smiled.

"You guys ready to have some cake?" he asked.

"I would like to taste the cake, not wear it, Callen." Amy warned.

Callen just smiled as they walked back into the room. The DJ announced the cake cutting and fortunately, Callen did not smear cake in her face, but fed it to her lovingly. Amy nibbled on his finger giving him an alluring look. She didn't smear him with cake either, but kissed him long and hard.

As the yacht docked in its slip, Callen and Amy went upstairs to change. Amy put on a yellow, white and pink sundress, Callen just put on a light blue short sleeved button up shirt.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked smiling, knowing he wasn't going to tell her.

Callen leaned down and kissed her. "No, it's going to be a surprise until we land."

They walked back downstairs to say goodbye to their family and friends. Amy wasn't crying until she got to the kids. "You guys are going to stay with Nina and Papa at the house until Wednesday, they you're going to stay with Sam and Michelle." She told them.

"We know, you've told us this about a hundred times. We're going to be fine." Kristy reassured her.

"I know. I'm going to miss you guys." She cried, pulling them to her.

"We're going to miss you guys too. Have fun." Kristy said looking up at Callen and Amy.

"We will, don't worry. Mom's going to come home nice and relaxed, maybe a little sunburned too." Callen laughed.

"You still haven't told her where you're going have you?" Ricky asked.

"Not going to either." Callen smiled keenly. "We've got a plane to catch. You guys be good. We'll call you guys in the morning."

The five hugged and Callen led Amy to her parents, then Hetty and the rest of the bridal party. After they said their goodbyes, Callen walked Amy down the walkway off the yacht to the waiting car. He opened the door for her and kissed her before she slipped into the back seat and he slipped in beside her. They held hands as they rode to the Airport. The driver tried not to look in the backseat when they started kissing.

Instead of pulling up to the terminal, the driver took them to the hanger area where they'd departed from when they flew to El Paso to get the kids. Ironically, it was the very same flight crew. The flight attendant met them with champagne.

"Congratulations, I was so happy to hear we'd be flying you to your honeymoon. I feel like a huge part of your story." She smiled.

"Well, you were." Callen told her.

"Take your seats, we're going to be taking off soon." She said walking to the cockpit.

Instead of taking seats across from each other, they sat side-by-side, huddled together. They fell asleep two hours into the flight. Seven hours later, the flight attendant woke them up in preparation for landing. Amy looked out the window and saw the white sands and blue water. In the distance, she saw the Pearl Harbor Memorial.

Her eyes lit up. "Hawaii!"

Callen smiled and kissed her. "We're going to spend our entire honeymoon on the island."

"Thank you. Not that we're going to be seeing much of the islands." She smiled seductively.

A car waited for them, a beautifully tanned woman met them and draped Leis around their necks. Callen received an orange and red Cigar Lei, while Amy got a delicate Tuberose Lei wrapped with He'e. Their bags were loaded into the back of the black sedan and they headed out of the airport and onto the freeway. It was a beautiful drive, palm trees and birds of paradise lined the road as they approached Waikiki Beach. They pulled into a curved drive, the driver opened Amy's door and helped her out. Amy looked behind her at the towering white hotel with its large white pillars. A bellhop was summoned to carry their bags into the hotel.

Callen and Amy walked into the grand lobby, Amy was stunned. The stark white walls with the large white pillars continued down a hall to a huge staircase. They followed the bellhop to the front desk.

A young man greeted them. "Welcome to the Moana Surfrider, are you checking in?"

"Yes, the name is Callen." He said looking at Amy, squeezing her hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Callen."

He smiled warmly, "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Callen, congratulations. We've got you booking into one of our Tower Premier Ocean Suites. Here are your keys; the bellhop will show you to your room. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I do have a question for you. Is Hilo Hattie still around?" Amy asked shyly.

"Of course, Mrs. Callen. Hilo Hattie's been a staple on the islands and will remain that way. Would you like the address of two of our local stores?" he asked.

Amy smiled, "Yes please. The two times I've been on the islands I've been to the stores. I've passed the dresses I got when I was a child one to my daughters."

"How many times have you been on the islands?" he asked.

"Twice, once with my family here on Oahu and The Big Island in the late eighties, and Maui when I was in high school." She smiled.

"Well, it's good to have you back. I'm glad you chose to bring your husband." He said smiling.

"Actually, she had no idea where we were going on our honeymoon." Callen smiled.

"Very good. We have two locations in the area. The Nimitz store and the store in the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Personally, I recommend the Nimitz store." He told her.

"Thank you, very much." Callen said taking the addresses.

They walked to the elevators and took it to the top. Callen opened the door to their suite and was blown away by the view out the sliding glass door. The bags were placed in the room and Callen tipped the bellhop. Amy had walked through the room to the balcony and opened the door. A warm breeze blew the scent of the ocean and plumeria wafting through the room. The view was breathtaking. Diamond Head to the left and the ocean from the base of the volcano for as far as the eye could see. Callen walked up behind her, putting his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"What a view." Amy said. "I may never want to go home."

"I know, but we've got the kids waiting for us." He smiled into her neck and nuzzled her ear.

Amy turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you." She said kissing him.

Callen walked them back in the room to the bed. His hands found the zipper at the back of the dress as her hands found the buttons on his shirt. Callen let her dress fall to the floor as he kissed her shoulders. Amy pulled his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. She kissed his chest, neck and found his lips. She fumbled with his belt and zipper, but with his help, his pants fell to his ankles. They laughed as he tried to take off his shoes and pants at the same time. Finally, he had to sit on the bed to take them off.

He pulled Amy on top of him as he lay back on the bed. Even though it had only been a week since they made love last, he wanted and need her like it had been forever. Amy kissed him hard and pressed her body against his. Callen ran his hands down her body and rolled her over. He kissed down her neck, his lips found her breast and he suckled her nipple gently before moving on to the other. Amy arched her back as he kissed down her stomach. She raised her hips to him as he kissed back up her body. Gently, he pushed himself into her and slowly began making love to her. He took his time, loving every whimper and moans his wife made.

She dug her nails into his back, kissing his chest and neck. They found heaven in one another's eyes and stared into each other's souls. Amy arched her back and met every thrust. They'd been together countless times over the last year, but this, this was so different, so much passion, and love. There was nothing rushed or rough about their lovemaking. Callen pulled her leg up higher and watched as Amy closed her eyes and moaned loudly.

"Oh God, Callen." She said breathlessly, pulling him deeper.

Callen rolled onto his back and watched Amy rock back and forth. He could tell by how she was riding him that she was getting closer. He pulled her down to him and watched her writhe with pleasure. Just the look on her face, her moans of pleasure and the tightening around him brought him there too. They lay there spent, wrapped in each other's arms.

"That was by far, the absolute best..." She said trembling, breathing labored.

Callen kissed her and breathed in her scent. They lay there for an hour, relishing in the afterglow. When their hearts calmed and stomachs growled, they decided to get out of bed and dress. The kissed the entire ride down in the elevator and walked hand in hand out of the hotel lobby and out onto Kalakuau Avenue. Callen and Amy had nowhere in particular they were headed, they were just walking. Along the way, they stopped in whatever shops they found. After wandering down Kalakuau they came across a Tiffany's. Callen smiled and took her in.

"Let's start replacing some more of your jewelry." He said looking at the glass cases.

"No, not right now." She told him.

Callen walked her over to a case with diamond stud earrings, "Pick a something."

Amy looked at him. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm tired of those damn fake things turning your ears green." He laughed.

A saleswoman walked over, "Can I show you anything?"

Amy looked at the woman, "I think we're just looking."

"No, I'd like to buy my wife a few sets of diamond earrings to replace some that she lost." Callen said.

"Alright are you looking for white or yellow gold?" She asked.

"White gold or platinum, please." Callen told her.

"How many sets are you looking for?" the clerk asked.

Callen looked at Amy and counted "If you don't sell single studs, we'll need five sets. Graduated sizes."

The clerks jaw dropped. "Um, ok we do have single studs available. Why don't we look at some earrings."

Amy walked away from Callen in protest when he pulled out his charge card and bought five sets of diamond earrings. No matter how much of a fuss Amy made over him spending that much money, he insisted on buying them for her. In truth, they weren't the most expensive earrings and only spend three thousand dollars for all of them. He thanked the sales associate and went to find Amy. She was mad, but thanked him when he handed her the blue signature Tiffany's bag.

"I love you, Amy. I want to do these things for you, don't be mad. We have the money." Callen told her before he kissed her softly. "Would you put them on?"

Amy rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, thank you. I love you too."

"They look beautiful on you," He told her after she'd put them in.

After wandering the streets for a few more hours, they stopped at a small hole in the wall for dinner. The food was authentic Hawiian and very good. The owner and several of the servers or cooks offered suggestions on things they should see and do if they weren't interested in doing a lot of the more touristy things. Callen appreciated their suggestions and thanked them.

After dinner, Callen and Amy walked down the beach to the water and sat for a while just listening to the waves lapping against the beach. They talked a bit about what they wanted to do the next day, aside from spending a good part of the day in bed. After watching the sunset, they walked back up to the hotel. It was the perfect end to their first day as husband and wife.


	21. Chapter 21

Amy woke up early as usual, but was so comfortable in Callen's arms and rolled over to watch him sleep. She smiled when she put her hand on his chest and kissed his scar. He took a deep breath and wrapped her in his arms. She didn't know why he smelled go good, but he did almost intoxicating. Callen rolled to face her and pulled her leg over his hip.

His eyes opened and he smiled. "Good morning Mrs. Callen."

She kissed him, "Good morning my husband."

"How long have you been awake?" he asked stretching.

"About an hour." She said thinking of the hundreds of things she wanted to do to him at that moment.

Callen kissed her long and deep. "You should've waked me up; we could've been doing this an hour ago."

"Believe me, I wanted to. I figured twice yesterday, we should take at least the morning off." She laughed.

"You're taking all the fun out of things." He said pulling her down in the bed.

He kissed her neck and nibbled her ear, she knew at that point she couldn't resist and rolled him onto his back. By ten they were exhausted again; they pulled themselves out of bed to spend some time on the balcony. Callen ordered breakfast; bacon, eggs, fresh fruit and lots of coffee. He walked to his suitcase to pull out a pair of shorts when Amy stopped him.

"I almost forgot Sam and Michelle got us something." She said running to her bag, pulling out a set of red satin pajamas.

"One set? How's that supposed to work?" he asked scratching his head.

"Half of it is mine and the other half is yours." She smiled pressing her bare body to his.

"Ah," he said running his fingers down her flesh causing goose bumps. "Brunch will be here in a few minutes, do you really want to start something right now. We need to eat to keep up our strength."

"We really didn't have anything planned for today, so I guess I'll wait until after we eat." She said pawing his bare rear. As she walked away, she tossed the bottoms to the pajamas over her shoulder at him. He admired her taught ass as she walked away, wishing he could have her again right now.

"Hey, I wanted the top." He laughed as he slipped them on, and then watched Amy pull on and button the top of the set.

"We can trade later if you really want. Are we eating on the balcony?" she asked walking out and enjoying the sun.

"If you'd like to eat out here, we can." He said walking up behind her, kissing her neck.

"God I love you, Amy." He said turning her around cupping the rear end he'd been admiring a few minutes before. He pulled her close and kissed her hard.

She sighed and looked into his eyes. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know."

Callen was going to kiss her again, but was interrupted but the knock at the door. He answered the door and helped the waiter bring the cart in the room. He tipped the man and followed Amy out to the balcony with a plate in one hand and cup of coffee in the other. Breakfast was so good, Amy savored the fresh fruit and enjoyed watching the world pass them by below. The slight breeze wasn't too much, the sun was wonderful. She sat back in her chair and laid her head back letting the sun warm her face. Callen remembered they hadn't called the kids yet and got up to get his phone.

"Where are you going?" she asked watching him walk back into the room.

"Do you know what we didn't do yesterday?" he said returning, dialing the house number.

"We didn't call the kids." She realized and set up again.

"Hey Kristy, how are you?" Callen said when she answered.

"We're good, are you guys having fun? Was Mom surprised when you landed?" she asked excitedly.

"We are having fun, we miss you guys and yes Mom was surprised." He told her smiling at Amy.

"What did you do today?" she asked.

"We've had a lazy day, stayed in bed most of the morning; we're just eating breakfast now. Did you want to talk to your Mom?" he asked knowing Amy wanted to talk to Kristy.

"Sure." She said and Callen passed Amy the phone.

"Hi honey, how are things going there?" Amy asked lacing her fingers through Callen's on the table.

"Good, Nina and Papa made pizzas for dinner last night. We're supposed to go to the movies tonight." Kristy said.

"Really? Are you guys being good?" Amy asked smiling.

"Yes we are. Have you guys done any shopping?" she asked, subtly hinting.

"I think we're going to make our way out later today to do that. It's just now ten o'clock here. We're going to go walk around the Farmer's Market tonight." She told her daughter.

"Sounds like fun. I love the Farmer's Market. We're headed to the theatre, so we'll talk to you later, okay?" she said

"Of course, have fun and tell us all about the movie when we call tomorrow. We love you guys." She said frowning.

"We love you guys too." Kristy said before hanging up.

"Mom and Dad are taking them to the movies." She told Callen as she handed him his phone back.

"That's one thing we haven't done it take the kids to the movies." Callen said.

They finished eating, showered together and dressed after a little more fooling around. Hand-in-hand, they walked out of the hotel and headed for the Ala Moana Shopping Center. It was only a two mile walk and there were plenty of other shops to wander through along the way. They stopped in to a coffee shop and got iced coffee and tea. There was so much Amy would've loved to have bought, but they needed to buy something for the kids and their friends. Callen offered to buy some of the things for her, but she declined.

"I think we should buy everyone Hawaiian shirts." Amy laughed.

"Sam would never wear it." Callen told her.

"I know he wouldn't, but I'd love to see the look on his face when we give it to him." She smiled.

"We'll see what we can find. I know Kristy wanted a puka shell necklace." He reminded her.

"Yes, I remember, I'm surprised she didn't tell me when we were on the phone this morning." She said stopping at a store window to look at the brightly colored dresses and sarongs.

"So you want to go in?" he asked.

"No, Hilo Hattie's has lots of stuff like this and probably less expensive too." She said.

"I couldn't find a swim suit when I packed your clothes; we need to buy you one. I'd like to go to the beach one of these days." He smiled down at her wanting to see her in a sexy bikini.

"I was waiting to get one since I've lost so much weight." She told him.

"Looks like we're going swim suit shopping, would you try on a bikini for me?" he asked with a devilish grin.

"We'll see." She smiled, "I don't know if I'm quite ready for that yet."

"I'll be the judge of that." He smiled.

Callen wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head when they were waiting to cross the street. She'd used that shampoo this morning and he was in heaven. His heart soared, two years ago; he never imagined he'd be here, on his honeymoon with a woman he loved more than life itself. He was so thankful for what he'd been given.

"I love you." He said as they stepped off the curb and into the crosswalk.

Amy looked up at him with a smile. "I love you too, Honey."

The shopping center was busy; they walked to the Hilo Hattie first. They had everything imaginable, dresses, wraps, shirts, shorts, swimsuits, bags, hats and that was just the clothing. There were assortments of Macadamia nuts, coffees, postcards, carved teak figurines, coral, jewelry and even coconut banks. Callen was shocked.

Amy walked to one of the coconut banks and laughed, "I had one of these when I was younger."

"They're cute, want me to get you another for old time sake?" he asked laughing.

"No, that's alright. Who should we shop for first?" she asked looking a little overwhelmed at the massive selection.

"Let's start with the kids. I think Kristy would like that orange printed dress." He suggested pointing to the dress on the wall.

Amy smiled at him, happy that he remembered Kristy's favorite color was orange. She kissed him. "Sounds like a plan."

They picked the orange hibiscus printed dress for Kristy, a little pink and purple print for Jenny and a blue and yellow shirt for Ricky. Callen picked a few puka shell and black kukui nut necklaces for them as well. A pretty halter dress caught his eye; he stepped away from Amy to look at it closer. She was talking about something and waited for a response, turned around and found him gone. He walked back up with the halter dress and asked her to try it on for him.

Amy walked to the fitting room; she was pleased when she put the dress on. It looked very nice. When she stepped out of the fitting room to show him, he clearly liked it too. She decided that anything else he picked out for her she wouldn't bother trying it on, she'd just let him get it for her, unless it was a swim suit. Callen had found several other dresses for her and a few shirts for himself. Nothing too ostentatious, but handsome-looking shirts. As much as he normally disliked shopping, he enjoyed shopping for Amy. Knowing that she rarely did anything for herself, he made sure he did and she obviously appreciated the gesture.

In addition to the clothing and gifts for the kids and themselves, they also picked shirts and dresses for the rest of their friends. By the time they walked out of the store, they had four huge bags. Callen wanted to get Amy that swimsuit they'd talked about, so he walked her towards one of the specialty stores. Amy was looking at the one-piece suites, but didn't like the scoop backs and walked to another rack. Callen found a red bikini and handed it to her.

"You're joking, right? There's barely enough material to cover my ass." She laughed.

"Just try it on for me, please. I'm going to go look for a few others for you to try on. Give me a yell when you're ready to show me." He told her walking away.

Amy stood there for a minute shaking her head. She really didn't want to try on the suit; she'd never been a bikini person, favoring the racing suits she'd worn in high school. Alas, she did put the suit on and was surprised when it didn't look as bad as she thought it would. It still showed too much skin for her taste. When she peeked out of the fitting room, he was standing there with five or six more suits.

"Let me see it." He said waiting for her to step out from behind the curtain.

"Do I really have to? You come here." She said nervously biting her lip.

"Amy, just get out here." He laughed, looking at the couple who was standing next to him.

She took a deep breath, cursed and pulled the curtain back. He was smiling. Amy took a few steps towards him and saw a man and woman waiting next to him. Embarrassed, she tried to go back into the fitting room when the woman told her the suit looked good. She thanked her and smiled a little.

"I really like it." Callen told her with his half smile. He stood and walked towards her, asking her to turn around. Amy rolled her eyes and did as he asked.

"You really do look good in that suit." The blonde woman told her again.

"I've never worn something like this Callen; I'm not comfortable in it." She complained.

"Amy, you're so used to seeing yourself as fat, you're not fat. Look at those abs and your ass; as you put it. You've worked hard to get this body. You really need to show it off. Be proud of what you've accomplished. You look hot." He told her with the smirk that melted her every time he showed it.

Amy sighed. "I'm really beginning to hate that smirk. Do you really think it looks okay?"

The woman's companion commented. "You look damn good, how much weight have you lost?"

Amy quickly calculated in her head. "About forty pounds over the last year."

"Honey, you deserve to show off that body." The woman told her. "Try on the other suits your husband found, you might be more comfortable in one of those, but I think you look good in that one."

Amy took the other suits from Callen and returned it the fitting room. She liked two of them, the two that offered the most coverage. When she showed them to Callen, he could see those were the suits to get, she wasn't shy or timid about showing them the suits. Callen found a third in the same style so she had more of a variety to pick from. Instead of making her pick between the three, he got her all of them. They spent a lot of time at the beach at home, but she never wore a suit. Now he hoped she would.

They stopped in a few other stores before they headed back to the hotel. Callen regretted letting Amy go into Barnes & Noble, she picked up a new book from one of her favorite authors and feared she'd spend the rest of the honeymoon with her nose in the book. He knew how she was with her books at home. Amy promised she wouldn't crack the book until they got home. It was three by the time they headed back to the hotel, Callen wanted to go to the beach for a couple hours. So they changed and walked down to the beach with the plan that they would go to the Farmers Market afterwards.

"I think we may need another suitcase for the trip home, we've gotten so much stuff." He said as they walked to a spot on Waikiki beach.

"No, we'll mail it home." She smiled pulling a blanket from her bag.

"That's going to cost a fortune." He told her while he helped lay out the blanket.

"No, we'll ship it flat rate. It will only cost thirty, forty dollars." She smiled.

"Are we going to be able to fit all of that stuff in a box the right size?" he asked taking off his t-shirt and tossing it on the blanket.

"Honey, I used to cram boxes full of stuff for Rick when he deployed, all of that will be easy. We can pick up a flat rate box and I'll show you how it's done." She laughed taking off her dress.

Callen loved how she looked in her bikini. It added just enough lift to her breasts and showed the contour of her hips. He pulled her close and kissed her. "Damn you're hot in that."

They walked down the beach to the water and waded in to get used to the water. The further out they got, the more Amy had to hop to keep her head above the water. Callen was shocked when Amy swam away from him. Her stroke was crisp, clean and fast, he'd forgotten she swam competitively in high school. He'd have to ask her to join him for one of his swims at home to see how good she really was. Callen joined her and pulled her to him. The water was shallow enough that she could touch the bottom without too much trouble, but he still lifted her up. He kissed long and deep. Several little girls on an inflatable raft giggled at them. Amy and Callen didn't care; they enjoyed the water and each other. After an hour in the water, they walked up to the beach and lay in the sun. Callen admired her tattoo when she'd rolled onto her stomach. He kissed her shoulder before asking if she was ready to go. They packed up and walked up to the showers, rinsed off the sand and walked to the King's Village for the Mahiku Farmer's Market.

There were heavenly scents floating in the air as they neared the area. Barbeque and smoked meats, traditional Hawaiian foods. There were hundreds of vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and anything else one could think of. The crowd was large and hard to walk through; Amy held Callen's hand as they walked so they didn't get separated. Callen stopped at a booth selling Orchids. He asked Amy if she wanted one, but she said she has never had luck with them.

Not being able to resist the food any longer, they stopped at one of the vendors and ordered two plates of Teriyaki chicken with fresh pineapple and rice. There was a small table off to the side, so they sat for a while and ate, watching the droves of people walk by. A woman approached them with a camera and offered to take their picture, so they stood and smiled while she snapped the photo and handed them a ticket. After they ate, they walked down to the booth to look at and buy the photo.

It was a good picture of them and at only five dollars for the nine by five photo, they bought it. It was their first photo together while on their honeymoon. Callen said they needed to find a frame for it and Amy agreed. The sun was setting at seven, but they had no plans of heading back to the hotel. The crowd had thinned, so they could walk side-by-side without a problem. Callen saw a sarong he liked and took her over to see it. She liked it, so he got it for her. At the end of the Farmers Market, in a court yard were some Polynesian dancers. Callen found an empty spot in the grass, led her through the crowd to sit and watched the show.

It was fun, Amy had seen the dancing several times in the past and told Callen about the dancers her brother had at his first wedding. After the show, the dancers searched the crowd to pull them up on the stage to teach them a few of the dances. Callen volunteered Amy. She could've strangled him, but went up with a smile. He watched the sway of her hips and her grace as she copied the arm movements. If he didn't know any better, he'd thought she'd been dancing for years. It truly was sexy to watch her move. When they were done and the crowd dispersed, Callen found Amy talking to a few of the dancers. Amy introduced him to one of them.

"Callen, this is a friend of mine, Mahri." She told him, and then turned back to her friend. "When did you move back to Hawaii?"

"A few years ago, I came back her to go to the U of H and decided to stay. You look fabulous." She said hugging Amy.

"How do you two know each other?" Callen asked.

"We worked at JCPenney together for a few years." Amy said.

"Ok, I take it that was quite a while ago?" He asked.

"Yes, I was seventeen when I started, worked on and off until I had Kristy." Amy said, smiling.

"So what are you doing here? I take it you and Rick aren't together anymore." She said eyeing Callen.

"No, our divorce was final in November. Callen and I are here on our honeymoon." She beamed.

"Honeymoon, congratulations. You two look so happy. The last time I saw your Mom, she mentioned you have three kids now, is that right?" Mahri asked.

"Yes, Kristy will be thirteen next month, Ricky is eleven and Jenny is six." She said as she pulled out her phone to show her pictures.

"They look so much like you. Are you two planning on having some of your own?" Mahri asked.

"I think we're going to try." Amy smiled looking at Callen.

Callen noticed that Mahri looked more Eastern Indian than Hawaiian and made a mental not to asked Amy about her ethnicity. She was a beautiful woman; tall and slender with almond shaped brown eyes and long brown hair; very exotic looking. He pulled Amy to him and kissed her head. The girls exchanged contact information, said goodbye and they headed back out of the Village.

"Is she Indian?" he asked.

"Yes, Fijian Indian. She was born in Fiji and moved to Hawaii when she was three, then to California a few years later. I can't believe we ran into her here of all places. Talk about a small world." She said smiling up at him.

Callen suggested they walk back down to the beach for a while instead of going back to the hotel. Amy agreed. When they got to the beach, Callen laid out the blanket and lay down with her staring up at the stars. Amy pointed out several of the constellations, Callen asked how she knew about them and she explained that she took Astronomy in middle school. There were other families and couples on the beach as well. They cuddled for a while before Callen suggested they pack up and head back to the hotel. They talked more, found a little bar and stopped for a drink since it was still early. It was a small bar, nice with live music.

They ordered drinks at the bar and walked to an empty table in the corner. Within minutes, they had their drinks and were enjoying the music. Several other couples were dancing; Callen offered Amy his hand and led her to the floor. They danced for a few songs before they went back to the table and finished their drinks. The couple that they spoke to at the swimsuit shop walked up. Callen and Amy offered for them to join them.

There was a lot of talking and laughter. Marcy and Mark told them that they'd be going to Pearl Harbor the following day and asked if Callen and Amy wanted to join them. Callen had planned of them visiting sometime while they were there, but hadn't planned on a specific day. Since they had no plans, they agreed to join them. Callen appreciated the offer and bought the next round of drinks.

Marcy and Mark were from Oregon, they found out. Just outside of Portland. Amy mentioned that her brother also lived in Oregon, so there was another topic of conversation. Callen and Amy found out that Marcy and Mark were also married Saturday. Amy asked where they were staying and coincidentally they were staying at the same hotel. Callen being the person he was; became mildly suspicious of Marcy and Mark. For the sake of the trip, he restrained himself from calling Eric or Nell to run background checks on them.

Mark and Marcy were a younger couple, neither had been married before nor did they have any children. They were a little shocked when Amy told them that this was her third marriage and that she has three children. Of course, Marcy asked if they had pictures of the kids and both Amy and Callen pulled out their phones to show pictures. Callen had some pictures of the kids that Amy hadn't seen, so he sent them to her and what Callen didn't have of Amy's she sent him.

Mark asked what Callen did for a living and Amy looked at Callen. He told Mark that he worked for the Department of Defense. Mark told them that he worked for the Forestry Service out of Klamath Falls. Amy asked how they'd met, trying to avoid being asked the same question. Mark and Marcy told them that they'd met in college and had been dating for a few years. Marcy turned the tables and asked how Callen and Amy met. They looked at one another awkwardly.

"Amy and I met on a case I was working. She was still married to her ex-husband at the time. We didn't start dating until they separated; the divorce was final in November." Callen said putting his arm around Amy.

"Oh, that's such a sweet story." Marcy said with her hand on Mark's knee. "So how does your ex-husband feel now that you've gotten re-married?"

"I don't know; he's sitting in Leavenworth right now for kidnapping our children." She smiled awkwardly.

"No shit!" Marcy exclaimed. "Wait, when was this? I think I remember hearing something about this last May. He was the Marine they arrested in El Paso?"

"Yes, that would be him." Amy smiled.

"I don't know how you did that without pulling your hair out or going insane." She said with an undertone of sympathy.

"It definitely wasn't easy, but I had Callen for support. It just so happened, when we went to El Paso to get the kids he proposed." Amy smiled at Callen.

"Oh, with the kids there and everything?" Marcy asked.

"The night before her ex took the kids, she and I had gone out to dinner and then to the beach. I was going to propose that night, but she freaked out when I pulled out the ring box and said it would ruin the night. So I switched it with her Mother's ring." He said lifting Amy's hand so they could see the ring. "When we got word that the kids were safe, I packed the ring in the bag we took to El Paso. Her son was going through it the night we got them back and found the ring. I figured it was as good a time as any and got down on one knee."

"Do you like being a step-dad?" Mark asked.

"I do, I think I fell in love with the kids before I fell in love with Amy. They're great. I don't know how I got along in life before I met Amy and the kids." He smiled and kissed Amy.

"God, you two look so happy. Third time's the charm. I hope this is the one that lasts forever." Marcy said raising her glass in a toast to them.

"Callen is the right one. I had to go through two bad marriages to get to him, but was all worth it. Callen is…" She stopped to find the words.

"Perfect?" Marcy asked.

"And then some. I couldn't ask for anymore. He's been there through a lot of things that has happened over the last year. I couldn't have gotten through any of it without him." She smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Aw, you're going to make me cry." Marcy said handing Amy a napkin.

Callen pulled Amy close and kissed her temple. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said kissing him softly.

The singer announced last call, so Callen ordered another round of drinks before the bar stopped serving. An hour later, the band packed it in and they were ushered out onto the street. The four walked back up Kalakaua Avenue to their hotel.

"So what time were you guys headed over to Pearl Harbor tomorrow morning?" Callen asked.

"We were going to have breakfast at restaurant in the hotel at eight. Then figured we'd leave from here. We've got a bus picking us up." Mark explained.

"Alright, we'll meet you down there for breakfast." Callen said.

Not only were Mark and Marcy staying at the same hotel, but they had a room on the same floor, right next door. Callen and Amy said good night and headed into their room. Neither was tired, so they spent some time on the balcony. Callen lit a couple candles to set the mood. He pulled Amy onto the lounge chair next to him and cuddled till they fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Amy woke in the middle of the night with the chills and got up to get the quilt off the bed. She turned to find Callen standing in the doorway half asleep. Instead of going back out to the balcony, he pulled her to the bed and fell back to sleep. She lay there awake thinking about their trip to Pearl Harbor, remembering her last visit with her parents and how the spirits bothered her. With her near full possession and knowing how open she was to the other side, she prayed that nothing bothered her or took advantage of her weakness. Amy never really told Callen about how sensitive she truly was; she should have told him about the conversation with a woman she'd had right after he moved in with them. Later on, she found out it was Callen's mother; Clara she'd talked to.

Since she was a child, she'd been able to see and hear things others didn't. Over time, she learned how to let them in only when she wanted. It was as simple as closing a door in her mind. Some spirits were more persistent than others and it took more work to keep them out. When she'd visited Pearl Harbor before, she could hear the fighting as clear as if she'd actually been there. They showed her the planes flying overhead, bombs exploding and the painful screams of the men as they were shot or hit with shrapnel. It was going to take some work and concentration to block it out this time.

The more she thought about it, the more she really didn't want to go, but Callen seemed to be looking forward to it. She had to go and even if she had to fake it, she would enjoy it. He rolled over and put his arm around her, but didn't wake. Trying to shut off her mind, she cuddled into him and tried in vain to go to sleep. Finally at about six, she couldn't take it anymore and got up. She showered, dressed and ordered coffee. It was delivered without waking Callen, which she was happy about. Amy sat on the balcony trying to close her mind. In the peace and quiet, she finally was able shut the other side out.

"How long have you been awake?" Callen asked as he walked out of the room and kissed her.

"Since we went in when I got cold." She told him.

"Did you go back to sleep?" he asked noticing the difference in her demeanor.

"No, I wasn't able to." She said sipping her forth cup of coffee.

"Amy, what's wrong? I've only seen you like this once before. I'm worried." He said pulling his chair to her.

She sighed, trying to figure out to how to tell him. "It's nothing really."

"You're lying, Amy. What is it?" he said taking her hands in his.

"Fine. I know why, rather how I was possessed after Awan took me to the hospital. I've always been sensitive, I guess they call it." She said searching his face for a reaction.

"Ok?" he said, already knowing all about it. He'd heard her talking to thin air in the past. "Amy, Honey, I already know."

She looked at him perplexed. "What do you mean you already know?"

"I've noticed some things over the last year. I've heard you talking to no one in the middle of the night. I've seen you looking off into nothing. You have a habit of looking at things quick, then looking again." He told her touching her face.

"Does it bother you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course not, are you worried about going to Pearl Harbor today?" he asked seeing the answer in her eyes.

"I am, the last time I was there, I heard and was shown a lot. I've learned how to better control it, but with the possession, I'm worried that they'll find a way in." she admitted to him.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" he asked concerned, willing to do anything to help her.

"No, there isn't. I'm just going to have to really focus and concentrate. I don't want you to think I'm not enjoying it." She said.

"Honey, if you don't want to go today, we don't have to. We'll go down, meet Marcy and Mark for breakfast and tell them something came up." He offered.

"No, I know you want to go and I really do too, I'm just worried that it might be too soon to expose myself to it." She said feeling horrible for potentially ruining the day.

"I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to do. We can find something else to do." He promised.

"I really want to go. It's beautiful and tranquil out at the Memorial." She said.

"Alright, but if anything happens I want you to tell me. I mean it Amy." He said in a loving, but very serious tone.

"I will let you know immediately, I promise." She said leaning over kissing him.

Callen drank a cup of coffee then went and showered. He watched Amy on the balcony as he dressed. She seemed like she was better than before they talked, but still worried about her. The last thing he wanted was to lose her to that again. He wondered what else she's seen and heard and where all she sees them. Callen decided he'd ask her another time. As he sat on the bed to tie his shoes, Amy walked back in and smiled. It was a genuine Amy smile and he knew she was okay for right now.

"You about ready for breakfast?" he asked standing.

"Yes I am." She smiled and kissed him.

They'd planned on meeting Marcy and Mark in the restaurant, but found them leaving their room at the same time. The four rode down in the elevator and waited to be seated at the restaurant. It was a very simply decorated place, with large picture windows along the outside walls. The greeter sat them at one of the windows that overlooked the beach and handed them menus. Callen took Amy's hand as they looked at the menus and tickled the palm of her hand with his finger. She smiled at him and made funny faces at him until Marcy and Mark started laughing. The waitress delivered a large carafe of coffee and took their orders.

Callen watched Amy through most of the conversation until their breakfast arrived. He was truly worried about her. The more she talked to the three of them, the more relaxed she became. Two more cups of coffee and they paid the bill. The tour bus met them at nine and they arrived at the Pearl Harbor museum at nine forty-five. Callen and Mark bought their tickets for the tour over to the memorial while Amy and Marcy went into the gift shop. Amy could feel them gathering around her. She told them to leave and they kept their distance.

Callen, saw the look on her face when he and Mark joined her and Marcy in the gift shop. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yes, they're keeping their distance." She said under her breath.

"Are you sure?" he asked holding her elbow.

"Yes Honey, I'm fine." She told him.

"You guys ready to go into the museum?" Marcy asked.

The two couples walked into the museum and got in line for the next boat leaving for the Memorial. They were told that the next boat would leave at ten and that they should get in line. There were at least fifty people already in line ahead of them. Mark ran back to the desk to ask what times the boats were leaving and found that they left every forty-five minutes to an hour. The four agreed that they'd wander the museum until ten thirty and get in line for the eleven o'clock tour.

As they walked through the museum, looking at the photos and artifacts, Callen paid close attention to Amy. She seemed to be okay for the most part, but would get a look on her face occasionally. She reassured him that she was fine. They walked hand-in-hand looking at the photos, it was somber, seeing the devastation depicted in black and white. Dramatic, almost poetic in a way. They walked to the end of the photo display and found a photo she didn't see the last time they were there.

Callen couldn't tell if she was upset by the photo until he took a closer look at it. "Oh my God, Amy that's your grandfather, isn't it?"

She was silent as she stared at the photo. A faint smiled crossed her face. "After all these years, they finally got it."

"Got what, Amy?" Marcy asked walking up behind them.

"This man in the middle," she said pointing at the picture. "Is my grandfather, we asked that my aunt donate the photo to the museum after my grandmother passed away. We never found out whether or not she did."

One of the docents walked up and asked if there was a problem. Callen asked who the photo had been donated by. The man walked away and returned with the director of the museum.

"How can I help you?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where you got this photo. The man in the middle is my grandfather." Amy said.

"Really, your grandfather? Let me check out records, I'll be right back." She said walking away.

Amy pulled her wallet out of her purse and took a photo of her grandfather in his Navy uniform out and showed it to Marcy and Mark. By this time, several onlookers were standing there listening to the conversation and asked to see the photo as well. The museum director returned with a file and stood next to Amy while she found the information.

"Ok, we have the photo being donated by a Roger Tillman Jr.; son of the man on the right who we've been able to identify as Petty Officer Roger Tillman Sr. who was killed during the attack. The man on the left was identified as Petty Officer Jason Walters, also killed during the attack. Do you have any proof of who this man is?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Amy said handing her the photo of her grandfather. "His name was Oscar Mackey, he died May twelfth nineteen ninety-seven. He was survived by his biological daughter, my mother Carole Mackey-Vincent and three biological grandchildren; my brother, sister and I."

The woman smiled. "I'm so thankful you came in today. We've been searching every record we could get our hands on trying to find out who he was. Do you by chance know what ship he was stationed on?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry,." Amy said apologetically.

"No, don't worry about it. Now that we have a name, we can find out exactly which he was stationed on. What's your name?" She asked taking out a pen and slip of paper.

"Amy Callen." She said smiling at Callen.

"Thank you so much Amy. I can't believe you came in today." She said shaking her hand. "I would love to have a picture of you and your husband next to the picture of your grandfather, would you mind?"

With a huge, beaming smile Amy replied. "I would absolutely love that."

The director pulled a digital camera out of her blazer pocket and had Callen and Amy stand next to the photo. Amy was on cloud nine and Callen could tell. The director snapped the photo and told them to stop by the office when they were done with their tour and she'd have a copy of the photo and more information on her grandfather. In addition to that, she offered to refund the price of their tickets and led them to the front of the line for the eleven o'clock ride to the Memorial. Since everyone in line was witness to the conversation between Amy and the Director, no one minded. Mark and Marcy felt honored to be with them and were humbled. They went in and watched the short movie before they next tour arrived.

When the boat arrived and the previous tour walked back through the museum, they were allowed to board. The four sat in the front of the boat and listened intently as the tour guide gave them details of the harbor. They passed several other sunken warships on the way to the Arizona Memorial. Like Amy remembered from her previous trip, the air grew still as they docked, the birds that were flying and chirping overhead were silent. It was calm and serene. Once they set foot on the Memorial and walked under the large white structure, there was an air of sadness. Many of the others who joined their tour had fathers, grandfather, brothers or uncles who died in the belly of the battleship.

Callen and Amy stood at the railing and watched the families ceremoniously toss flowers or leis in the water below. It was sad, but wonderful to see the honor and tradition of their actions. Many of the families visited every year on their lost loved one's birthday or another special date. Amy took a deep breath and smiled with tears in her eyes. Callen pulled her close and kissed her temple.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, no one spoke louder than a whisper out of respect.

"I'm fine." She smiled up at him.

They watched the flowers float in the water, mingling with the oil that had leaked from the hull of the ship. The sheen from the oil added a rainbow effect to the water, with the flowers drifting, it was beautiful. Callen and Amy stood at the railing holding hands, watching the flowers floating here and there. Amy pointed to the bow of the ship. Callen smiled when she finally saw it through the oily, flower covered water. They walked to the opposite side of the memorial to see the stern. There was a woman standing in the shade silently weeping. Amy's heart broke for her.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" she asked putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Oh yes," she said looking at them. She was older, maybe in her later sixties, early seventies. "I'm always like this when I come see my father."

"Ma'am, I'd like to thank you for your father's service and sacrifice. Without men like him, our country wouldn't be what it is today." She smiled.

"Oh thank you. Usually you hear something like that for only those who currently serve." She smiled back at Amy. "I was three when Daddy died. I have only vague memories or him."

"I'm so sorry, thank you for your sacrifice. Here," Amy said handing her a gold star flag pin she'd bought at the gift shop for her at her father's request. "I'd like you to have this."

"Oh dear." She paused, covering her mouth with a tissue. "I haven't seen one of these in years."

"You've earned it, Ma'am. I bought it in the gift shop, knowing someone would appreciate it. I didn't lose my grandfather during the attack, but he was here. My first and second husbands both served in the Marine Corps, so I know the hardships of military life and the sacrifices the families make." Amy explained.

"Thank you, no one ever gave me one. You just made my day. Thank you." She said hugging Amy. Then turned to Callen, smiling. "Your wife is a wonderful woman."

"Yes she is and she never ceases to amaze me with her generosity and caring." Callen said awestruck by Amy.

"It's the least I could do. I just wanted to make sure you remembered that your father's sacrifice hasn't been forgotten, nor has yours." Amy smiled.

"I wish everyone was as understanding as you." The woman smiled and stepped to the railing, blowing a kiss at the water. She turned back to Callen and Amy, squeezed their hands and walked away.

Callen looked at Amy and pulled her to him. "That was so awesome to see. How did you know to get that at the gift shop?"

"Her father asked me to." She smiled, knowing he'd understand on some level.

He smiled and shook his head. "How often do they ask you to do stuff like that?"

"All the time, in fact I had one woman ask me to love and take care of her son." She told him to see if he picked up on the hint.

Callen stood there silent for a few minutes looking at the water. "You've talked to my Mom?"

"I have, right after you moved in last year. She comes back every now and then." Amy said resting her head on his shoulder, her arm through his. "She's very proud of you and everything you've accomplished and overcome."

Callen looked at her with tears in his eyes and kissed her. "Thank you."

The boarded the boat back to the museum in silence. As the gained some distance from the Memorial, the breeze blew and the birds sang again. Callen was deep in thought. Mark and Marcy were talking between the two of them. Amy ran her hand across the side of Callen's head.

"Honey, I didn't tell you to upset you. I just wanted you to know that she see's everything you've done." She whispered.

Callen sighed, smiled and looked at Amy. "I know. I just wasn't expecting it. So she's good with my choice in a wife?"

"She hasn't complained about it. So I have to assume she is, she's been with us on and off for a while. Loves the kids." Amy said kissing him.

Callen pulled her closer and held her until they docked. It was just past noon when they walked to the office. The Director left a large envelope for them. Callen stood next to Amy as she opened if and pulled out a stack of stapled papers out. It was her grandfather's entire military record, minus the medical portion. It had a copy of his marriage certificate to her grandmother, a copy of her mother's birth certificate and a detailed list of all of his assignments and duty stations. She would forever cherish the information. Callen took the envelope and pulled out the photo. As he looked at the photo, he noticed he was standing on one side of the photo and Amy on the other, but there was as smoke-like mist on either side of them. He showed it to her.

"What's this?" he asked pointing at the two mists.

Amy smiled and leaned in close. "That's what spirits look like when they manifest in pictures. Look, there are orbs too. Those are all spirits."

Callen put the photo back in the envelope with a satisfactory smile and asked Amy if she was hungry. She handed him the papers and turned around to ask Mark and Marcy if they were hungry as well. They were standing by the door and waved at them. The four went to get lunch before deciding whether to go aboard the USS Bowfin; a world war two era submarine or to go on the USS Missouri. Amy had been on both and decided to let the other three decide. Callen really wanted to go aboard the Missouri.

"Amy, I know you've been on the Bowfin, but have you ever been on the Missouri?" Mark asked.

"Actually, I have she was in San Francisco for Fleet Week before she was made a permanent part of the museum here. I was probably twelve or thirteen when I saw her though." Amy smiled.

"You wouldn't mind going aboard again, would you?" He asked making sure Amy wouldn't be bored.

"Oh, of course I don't mind. Are we going to take the guided tour or the one with those white speakers?" she asked.

The four looked at each other and figured they'd decide once they got over there. They finished lunch and headed over to the shuttle that would take them to Ford Island and the pier where the Missouri was moored.

"Did you get anything for anyone this time?" Callen asked.

"No, not this time." Amy said as they walked out of the gift shop and over to the gangway.

The guys opted for the self-guided tour so they could take as much time on the ship as they wanted. It was larger than Callen thought it would be. The only military ship he'd been on in recent years was the aircraft carrier two Christmas' ago. He asked Amy when the Battleships were taken out of the Navy's inventory. She explained that the last few remaining battleships were decommissioned in the early to mid-nineties. Callen was impressed by her vast knowledge of all things military. He loved the face that she knew a plane just by the sound of the engine.

The four wandered the bowels of the ship for a couple hours before they made it to the deck and stood at the plaque that has been placed into the wooden deck. He took Amy's hand and walked over to the huge gun turrets and ready the specifics about the guns. Then they walked to Mark and Marcy at the bow of the ship, who were snapping photos of the Arizona Memorial and the surrounding harbor. It was almost four and they'd seen all of the battleship they were allowed. They made their way back down the gangway onto the pier and looked back at the ship. They museum complex was closing in thirty minutes, so they boarded the shuttle back to the main part of the island and tried to figure out what to do next.

They wandered through the shops in the area around Pearl Harbor before they boarded the bus back to Waikiki. Mark and Marcy suggested a nice dinner somewhere in the city and maybe a little bar hopping afterwards. Callen and Amy liked the idea of dinner, but weren't too sure about the bar hopping and went along anyway. They changed and met in the hall outside their rooms. Callen wore a pair of khakis and a light blue printed button up and Amy had on a short skirt, printed low-cut blouse and his favorite red heels. Marcy and Mark were dressed similarly.

They hailed a cab and took it to Ala Moana Center for their six-thirty reservation at The Pineapple Room. They were seated promptly and ordered drinks. When the waiter came with their drinks, they also ordered. Callen ordered the Kiawe Grilled Hawaii Ranchers Rib Eye, Amy had the New Zealand King Salmon, Marcy got the Jidori Chicken, Kauai Prawns and Clams, while Mark ordered the Miso Braised Short Rib and Taegu Shrimp. The restaurant was very busy and it took a while for them to get their dinners, but the wait staff kept their drinks topped off. The food itself was worth the wait. Amy's Salmon was cooked to perfection and Callen's Steak was cooked exactly how he liked. Both Mark and March enjoyed their dinners as well. After one more glass of wine, they asked for the check and walked through the shopping center before taking a Taxi back to the area their hotel was in.

Somewhere along the line, Marcy and Mark convinced Callen and Amy to go to a Karaoke bar they'd heard about. Neither honestly looked forward to the experience, but didn't want to hurt Mark and Marcy's feelings by ditching them. Once they'd gotten a seat in the main room, they had fun. Marcy begged Amy to get up and sing with her. Amy adamantly refused claiming she'd need more to drink if she was going to get up in front of a crowd and sing. Callen sat back and watched Amy gesture wildly as she refused time and time again.

Marcy disappeared and returned with drinks for everyone. She neglected to tell Amy that hers was the strongest drink the club made. Half-way through the drink, Amy was goofy and giggly. Finally after a few more times of Marcy asking, she gave in and the two went to pick a song. Callen and Mark were content to sit back and watch their wives. Within fifteen minutes, the girls were back at the table waiting for their turn. Callen asked what they picked and Amy told him to wait and see. She kissed him hard and whispered how much she wanted him in his ear. Callen had never seen her this inebriated and rather enjoyed how provocative she was being. Amy begged Callen to take her to a quiet corner to have a little bit of fun, but he declined because she was so intoxicated.

When the girls were called, they took the stage. Off on one side was a baby grand piano, Amy sat down and played along with the music while they sang Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles. Callen was floored, absolutely dumbfounded that Amy played the piano not to mention could sing beautifully. He felt bad that he hadn't learned this about her before, but it wasn't the first thing he'd found out on this trip. When the two were done singing, there was a thunderous round of applause for Amy's piano playing skills. They bowed and left the stage to find their husbands.

"Holy shit Amy, you never told me you played the piano." Callen said when she kissed him, then sat next to him.

"We've never been near a piano and the topic of what instruments I could play never came up." She smiled sipping her drink.

"Damn girl; that was friggin' awesome." Marcy said high-fiving Amy.

"How many instruments can you play?" he asked.

"Three, but I'm sure if handed any string instrument I could play it." She told him.

The girls were asked to perform two more times before the end of the night. Both times, Amy played the piano and sang along with Marcy. Callen was mesmerized, she was brilliant. As they walked out of the bar, they were asked to come back before they left the island. All Callen could do was try to get back before they left on Saturday.

As they walked back to the hotel, all three asked Amy about her hidden talent. She explained that she'd been playing the violin since she was ten, the guitar since she was twelve and the piano since she was thirteen. She only took lessons for a while with each instrument, but practiced whenever she was around one of the three. Callen made a mental note to get her one of the three, preferably a piano. Amy was walking straight as an arrow and carried on a coherent conversation. Callen suspected she was never as drunk as she let on.

"Hey you guys, Amy and I are going to walk on the beach for a little while before we go back to the hotel. We'll see you guys later." Callen said pulling Amy in the opposite direction.

"Alright, we'll see you guys tomorrow or something." They said, waved and walked away.

"You never were drunk were you?" he asked stopping her in the middle of the sidewalk.

Amy smiled an innocent smile. "I just needed a little more alcohol in my system to get the courage up enough to get on the stage."

Callen laughed, took her hand and walked to the beach. "You're really something, you know that, right? What else don't I know about you?"

"Honestly, there really isn't anything else to know." She said as she kicked off her heels, leaning on him.

Callen took the opportunity to kiss her. The plans to go to the beach changed once again and they headed back to the hotel. They kissed on the way to their floor in the elevator and barely made it into the room before they were undressing each other. Callen lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him. They were on the bed, in the throes of passion and made love for hours. Once again, Callen remembered why he loved making love to her. He noises she made, the facial expressions, the way she scratched her nails down his back.

As they lay there exhausted and dozing, Callen asked Amy for one thing. "Sing to me."


	23. Chapter 23

** It has come to my attention that I have yet to post a disclaimer. I would like to take the opportunity to do that now. I do not own the characters to NCIS, NCIS:LA or Hawaii 5O, I'm merely borrowing them for the purpose of this story. **

** I would like to dedicate this story to SSgt. C. Howe and his family, without them the original story idea would not have been. His family's strength after his passing has made me re-evaluate my life and my decisions and thus made a stronger person. Thank you, Miss Sam. **

** To the many, many readers who have read the story and my loyal followers, I cannot tell you what your response has meant to me. Your reviews are what compel me to continue writing. As long as you enjoy what you read, please continue to leave a review and I will gladly continue to write this story for you. I have nothing but love and respect for you all. Thank you.**

**I would also like to thank ilse23- I do not watch Hawaii 5O, but she does religiously. So, chapter was written with her help. Thank you!**

Callen rolled over to find Amy still sleeping, he smiled and kissed her shoulder, relishing in the feeling of her bare skin on his. He wanted to do something just the two of them today, maybe hang out around the hotel, get a massage or something. At seven thirty, he snuck out of bed slipped on the red silk pajama bottoms and walked into the sitting room. He pulled the hotel information portfolio from the plastic holder on the desk and sat down to look through it. There were a myriad of different services offered, and then he saw it, a couple's massage. He smiled and reached for the phone, dialing the number to the spa. When he hung up, he'd booked a massage for ten that morning. Callen looked back into the bedroom at Amy's body under the fluffy white comforter.

He called down for room service to bring up some coffee, and then walked back into the bedroom to watch Amy sleep. As he stood by the bed deep in thought his phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he saw it was Sam and walked back into the sitting room.

"Hey Sam, how are you?" he asked.

"Good, how's the honeymoon?" Sam asked with a little whimsy in his voice.

Callen smiled. "It's going well, we're enjoying ourselves."

"Good, please don't bring me home one of those hideous Hawaiian shirts." He laughed.

"Too late, Amy already got one for you. Don't worry, its tasteful." He laughed. "Get this; we went to karaoke last night. Amy not only can sing, but plays the piano."

"Seriously, I wonder why she never said anything about it. I take it she's pretty good?" Sam asked.

"She's not just good, Sam, she's phenomenal." He said.

"We'll have to find a karaoke bar here to take her to so we can all see her sing." Sam suggested.

"I'm thinking about getting her a piano. She also plays the violin and guitar." He said. "So how are things going there?"

"Not bad, just a few cases, nothing to write home about." He chuckled.

There was a knock at the door. "Hey Sam, can I call you back?"

"Sure, I'll talk to you later. Have a good day." Sam said.

"Yeah, you too." Callen said hanging up and walking to the door.

Callen took the coffee and handed the man a tip, then closed the door. He walked to the counter and grabbed two coffee mugs, making one for him and one for Amy. As he walked into the bedroom, Amy sat up in bed, smiling.

"You shit, you told Sam about last night." She smiled.

"I didn't know I wasn't supposed to." He laughed, handing her a cup of coffee and sat on the bed next to her.

"It's ok; I guess you guys are going to search for a karaoke bar in LA to take me to." She asked after sipping some coffee.

"I'd like to see you sing again." He smiled and kissed her softly.

"Last night wasn't enough for you?" she smiled, referring to her singing to him after they'd made love.

"No, it wasn't enough. You need to share that voice with others." He smiled. "So, we need to be down at the spa by ten, I booked us a couple's massage."

Amy swung a leg over his head and smiled seductively, "Really, sounds nice."

Callen sat his coffee on the bedside table and took hers, setting it down. He ran his fingers lightly up her inner thigh, eliciting a sigh from Amy. She moved lower in the bed and watched his face as he touched her. His face was so serious, so methodical. Amy arched her back as he teased her, and then pulled him to her. He took off his pajama bottoms before he situated himself between her legs and kissed her as he pushed into her. She was so…. Perfect. The kissed as they made love. The closer she got to euphoria, the wilder and hungrier she got. Amy scratched her nails down his back, causing him to quicken his pace. She moaned loudly and pulled him deeper. He was almost there when she threw her head back and let the sensations wash over her. The pulsating around him caused him to let go and he fell onto her exhausted.

"God, I love that." She whispered breathlessly, wrapping herself around him.

"You are so, God." He sighed kissing her neck.

They showered, dressed and walked to the elevator. As much as they enjoyed Mark and Marcy's company, they wanted time just the two of them and were thankful when the boarded the elevator alone. Callen asked if she was hungry as he led her to the Beach House Restaurant. They ordered more coffee and fresh fruit for breakfast. Amy and Callen talked about the kids and how much they missed them as they ate and agreed that they'd call them later in the day.

As they walked into the spa, it was quiet and tranquil. The receptionist took them to their room to change into robes. Their masseuses met them and took them to a veranda for their massages, the faint scent of coconut, freesia and lavender floated in the air. Callen and Amy stole a quick kiss before laying on their stomachs on the massage tables. They were told that they could hold hands for a while during their massages. Callen kept tickling her palm as the masseuse slathered oil on their backs and started rubbing them down.

It was so relaxing with the gentle breeze blowing, the sound of the waves crashing and the birds chirping overhead. It felt so good and relaxing that they dozed off. Someone rushed onto the veranda and said something to the masseurs; the women frantically tapped their shoulders trying to wake them.

"Sir, Ma'am we need to leave the hotel. There's some sort of bomb threat or something. We're being evacuated." The petite woman said.

Callen and Amy grabbed their robes and hurried to the emergency exit. They joined a large group of people who were being escorted to the city side of the hotel. Callen and Amy stood across the street from the hotel with the other guests as the Honolulu police strung police tape across the hotel entrance and out into the street around the guests. Within minutes, several more squad cars stopped along the streets haphazardly. After several more minutes the bomb squad arrived.

"Isn't that Callen and Amy's hotel?" Kensi asked looking at the breaking news during lunch hour.

"Yeah, that's it. I just talked to him this morning too." Sam said walking to the screen next to her.

"Look right there; is that him in the robe?" Deeks said pointing to a man in the bottom right of the screen at the front of the crowd.

"I think it is." Sam said pulling out his phone, dialing Callen's number. "Hey G, you're on TV."

"Seriously?" He asked with a laugh.

"You're standing right up at the police line, right? In the white robe?" Sam asked nodding his head at the rest of the team.

Callen turned around and waved towards the cameras. "Am I waving at you? Hey Amy, turn around and waved at everyone back home."

Amy turned around and stuck her bare leg out of her robe and gave it a sexy shake.

The bullpen erupted into laughter. "Yup, we see you." Sam said.

"Nice legs!" Kensi yelled in the background, followed by Eric's shrill whistle.

"It's some sort of bomb scare." Callen told them.

"Yeah, that's what they're saying on the news. Hey, isn't that Danny up by the door?" Sam asked.

"I don't know?" Callen said craning his neck for a better view of the door. "Yeah, I think it is."

"You should see if he can give you a better idea of what's going on." Sam said.

"I'll call you back in a few." Callen said as he hung up.

They watched Callen yell at one of the officers. The man turned around and smiled at him.

"Hey Callen, what are you doing back on the island?" he asked as he walked towards them with his hand out.

"Here on my honeymoon. Danny Williams, this is my wife Amy." He said introducing them.

"Wife?" Danny asked as he shook Amy's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Amy. So when did you get married?"

"We got married Saturday." Callen said pulling Amy to his side.

"Well, congratulations." He said looking them up and down. "Let me guess, you were getting massages?"

"Yeah, we were and it was damn nice too. What's going on?" Callen asked.

"Someone called in saying there was a bomb somewhere in the hotel. Since this is such a heavy tourist area, we aren't taking any chances. Let me get back up there and see what they've found out." He said as he ran back up to the hotel's entrance.

"How do you know him?" Amy asked.

"Sam and I came out here a while back to work on a case with them." He smiled.

"Ah, ok." She said slipping her arms around his waist.

They stood outside the hotel for almost two hours before they were allowed back in. It was a nice day, so they didn't mind. Mark and Marcy found them in the crowd and passed the time talking to them when Callen's friend Danny wasn't running back with information. Mark and Marcy went back in the hotel while Callen and Amy stopped to talk to Danny.

"So when are you heading back to LA?" he asked looking for the other's who had worked with Callen and Sam a couple years ago.

"We're headed home on Saturday afternoon." Callen said.

"So you've got pretty much two more days. What all have you guys done?" Danny asked.

"We went to Pearl Harbor yesterday, but we've mostly stayed around the hotel. Done some shopping, been to the beach." Callen told him.

"We should all get together and go out to dinner one night while you're here, show you how we local do it." Danny laughed.

"Sure, we really don't have anything else planned for the rest of our time here." Callen agreed.

"Alright, you still have the same number?" Danny asked.

"I do." Callen said smiling.

"Let me talk to everyone see when they're free and I'll give you guys a call." He said shaking Callen and Amy's hands before they went back into the hotel.

They were offered another time slot later in the day for another massage since their first was interrupted by the bomb scare, but they opted for an appointment tomorrow morning. Instead, they went up to the room and called the kids.

"Hey Mom, how are you?" Amy asked when her Mom answered.

"We're good, you guys okay? We heard about the bomb scare." Her Mom said.

"We're fine; we were in the middle of getting massages. When it happened, they rescheduled for tomorrow morning." She told her mom.

"Are you guys having fun?" Carole asked.

"We are I don't want to come home. How are the kids?" Amy asked.

"Oh honey, they're fine. Looking forward to going to Sam and Michelle's tonight." She said.

"We figured they would be. You've got treatment tomorrow afternoon, don't you?" Amy asked her mother.

"Yes I do. You're still worried about the cancer, aren't you?" Carole asked.

"Of course I am Mom." Amy admitted.

"I'm fine; they're nothing but maintenance treatments now. Just to make sure the cancer doesn't come back." Carole tried to assure her.

"When do you go back in for your next PET scan?" she asked.

"I just had one done and it showed nothing new. You know that." Carole said. "Do you want to talk to the kids?"

"Sure, Mom." Amy said knowing her mother wasn't telling her something. She looked at Callen and he knew right away that there had been another diagnosis.

"Hi Mom." Ricky said when he came to the phone.

Amy and Callen talked to all three of the kids for about an hour before Sam got there to pick up the kids and drop Joe and Carole at the airport. Amy was quiet after getting off the phone; Callen let her have a few minutes by herself before trying to talk to her about it. They were sitting on the balcony at the table when Callen stood and pulled her out of her chair. He held her tight and told her he loved her. They sat on the chaise in the room talking about her conversation with her mother. Amy admitted that she thought her mother was keeping something from them. Callen suggested talking to her again when they got back from their honeymoon. Amy agreed that she would.

It was almost three, so they decided to head down to the beach. Before leaving the hotel, Amy ran into the gift shop to get a couple of snorkels. Callen asked if she knew how to use it and she laughed at him. He took that as meaning that she did. They swam out to the wall about fifty yards off the beach and then outside the wall. Where there were only a few fish swimming inside the wall, there abundance outside. Callen let Amy lead as they followed along the wall. Occasionally, she'd dive deeper when she saw something below. It was usually a shell or piece of coral. Callen was impressed with her snorkeling skills and wondered if she'd ever tried scuba diving.

After an hour on the outside of the wall, they swam back in and headed to the beach. They lay in the sun until Callen's phone rang around five.

"Hello?" Callen answered.

"Hey Callen, its Danny what are you guys doing?" he asked.

"We're at the beach." He told him.

"Which beach?"

"Waikiki the section with the wall." He told him.

"Alright, you guys want to meet us on the other side, we were going to get some surfing in." Danny said.

"Hold on, let me ask Amy." He said, and then turned to Amy. "Hey, Danny wants to know if we want to head to the other side of the beach, they're going surfing."

"Sure." She said sitting up.

"Yeah, you guys there already?" Callen asked.

"Yeah, we're waiting on you guys." He said.

"We'll be right over." Callen said as he hung up.

Amy was already on her feet putting her sarong on. Callen grabbed the blanket and they headed over to the other side of the beach. There were probably thirty surfers out in the water paddling out to wait for a wave. Danny was waiting for them as they walked up.

"Hey guys, how was the rest of your afternoon?" he asked.

"Not too bad, called and talked to the kids for a while." Callen smiled.

"Kids, I didn't know you had any, Callen." Danny said confused.

"They're mine from my ex-husband." Amy said.

"Oh, how old are they?" Danny asked.

"Kristy will be thirteen next month, Ricky is eleven and Jenny is six." Callen said proudly.

"So you guys planning on having any of your own?" Danny asked.

"Let's just say we're not being careful." Amy smiled.

"Alright." Danny smiled awkwardly. "Either of you ever surfed?"

Amy and Callen shook their heads.

"Okay, this is going to be interesting. Steve's going to enjoy this. Want to learn?" Danny asked.

Callen and Amy looked at one another. "I did the Polynesian dancing; it's your turn to make a fool of yourself." Amy said.

Danny laughed. "Really where was that?"

"At the Mahiku Farmer's Market in the King's Village." Amy said.

Danny nodded, "I have to agree with her, you're turn Callen."

"Thank, Amy." He said kissing her.

"You're welcome, Babe." Amy said as they walked away. She took off her wrap and sat down in the sand.

"She's cute, where'd you meet her? Is she an agent?" Danny asked as they walked towards the others.

"No, she's not an agent, but she'd make a damn good one. We met on a case last year down at Pendleton."

"Is she in the Marines?" Danny asked

"No, her ex-husband was. The team was assigned to investigate her neighbor's husband's murder. We wound up protecting both Amy and her kids and her neighbor."

"So you two started fooling around before she got divorced?" Danny asked, shocked.

"No, she was hell-bent on waiting until she at least filed for divorce. She filed for divorce in late April, and then her husband kidnapped the kids in May."

"I think I heard about that, he got arrested in El Paso or something?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, that's him. I asked Amy to marry me when we were in El Paso getting the kids." Callen smiled.

"She looks pretty young, how old is she?" Danny asked trying to guess on his own.

"Thirty-seven. She's a good woman. We went to a karaoke bar last night and I found out she plays the piano and can sing." Callen told him.

"No way, some of the guys were there last night and talked about these two women, one played the piano like a pro." Danny laughed.

"That would've been Amy and Marcy." Callen nodded.

"Hey Steve, this is Callen. He's the NCIS Agent who was here a couple years ago. His wife was the one at the Karaoke Bar playing the piano that everyone was talking about. Callen, this is my partner and our boss."

"No way. Nice to meet you." Steve said shaking Callen's hand. "Where's the songstress?"

"She learned the hula; I get to learn to surf." Callen laughed.

"She doesn't have to sit all the way up there." Steve said.

"Amy" Callen yelled back and waved her over.

Amy grabbed her bag and the blanket and walked down the beach to them.

"Damn, she is hot." Steve said. Then quickly looked at Callen. "Sorry."

"No, no worries, she's worked hard to look like that. Lost forty or fifty pounds for the wedding." Callen said proudly.

"Amy, this is Steve, my partner and I guess you could say Callen's counterpart. He's out boss technically." Danny said introducing them.

"Hi, how are you?" Amy said shaking Steve's hand.

"Not bad. You and your friend were all the talk in the squad room this morning." He said

Amy turned red, "Wonderful."

Steve started teaching Callen the basics of surfing. While Amy watched. Eventually, they took him in the water and he actually wasn't too bad. Amy's sides hurt from laughing when he fell. He was going to need the massage tomorrow after the way he fell. The others that were with Danny and Steve kept their distance, but pointed at her every now and then. Amy knew they were talking about her performance last night.

A woman got out of the water and walked up the beach with a board; she laid it on the beach and walked over to Amy. "You don't surf?"

"No, I'm more of a snorkeler. I'd rather watch Callen fall on his face so I can go home and tell Sam and my kids about it. So they can harass him about it." Amy laughed.

"So you're Callen's wife? Congratulations. I'm Kono, I work with Danny and Steve." She said sitting next to Amy in the sand and offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Amy. I couldn't work on the island; I'd be in the sun or the water every chance I got." Amy laughed.

"The mainlanders get used to it and the newness wears off. It gets to be too much with all the tourists sometimes." She said.

"Oh I can only imagine." Amy agreed.

"So you snorkel, where all have you gone on the island?" Kono asked.

"We went on the outside of the wall, the last time I was here, rather Maui I snorkeled at Molokini crater." Amy said.

"Oh yeah, that's a big tourist thing over there. You should try Kahe Point or Hanauma Bay." Kono told her.

"How far are they, we didn't rent a car?" Amy asked.

"Kahe Point is north of there about thirty minutes and Hanauma Bay is south, maybe twenty, twenty-five minutes." She said.

"Which would you recommend?" Amy asked.

"If you're looking to see the fish, Hanauma Bay." Kono said watching the guys coming up the beach. "So what are you guys doing for dinner?"

Amy stood and grabbed a towel for Callen. "I don't know we really hadn't talked about it."

"Hey," She called to Danny and Steve. "We should take them to Ono's in Kapahula for dinner."

"You guys didn't have plans for dinner, did you?" Danny asked Callen.

"Not that I know of, Amy may have already." He said watching wrap and tie her sarong.

"You guys can ride with one of us." Danny offered.

Callen looked exhausted, walking up to Amy; he put his head on her shoulder. She handed him a towel and kissed him. Callen took it off and dried his face, chest and arms. "Did you have fun?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I saw you laughing up here." He said smiling.

"It's only fair; you laughed at me when I was doing the hula. Don't worry, I'll tell Sam and the kids not to give you too much crap over it." She gave him a wicked smile.

"Thanks. I think I need to worry about the kids more than Sam." He said hanging his head.

"Oh no, they've only been boogie boarding. You're the first one of us to ever try surfing. At least Deeks will be proud." She laughed.

"Ok, now you're just being mean." He said pulling her to him and kissing her.

The others watched the exchange, liking this side of Callen.

The group walked the streets of Kapahula, an older neighborhood with long established stores and restaurants. Ono's Hawaiian Barbeque was a small out of the way hole in the wall with hundreds if not thousands of celebrity photos. There was a line of ten to fifteen people ahead of them. Kono and Steve assured them that the food was worth the wait. About an hour later, they were in the restaurant looking at all of the photos on the walls. Kono ordered as Chin walked in to join them. Danny made the introductions while Callen went up to offer to pay for dinner, but Kono refused. She ordered a one of everything off the menu and in some cases more, since she knew what the others liked.

"Amy, you just have to remember it's not about what it looks like, but what it tastes like." Steve told her.

Amy had a look of horror on her face for a second. "As long as there's some of the pork like I had at the luau's I went to on my previous trips, I'm fine."

"Oh yeah, don't worry." Kono reassured her.

The food while it looked somewhat disgusting was absolutely fabulous. Amy had to restrain herself from eating too much and had already devised a plan on how to make it at home.

"Honey, I think I can make a lot of this at home." She told Callen.

Everyone at the table looked at her, "No, Amy's a fantastic cook." Callen told them.

"Yeah we can tell." Danny said trying to pat Callen's stomach.

The group laughed. After they finished eating, they walked through Kapahula and stopped in a couple of shops before heading back to the hotel. Callen and Amy thanked them for dinner and the surfing lessons. Danny said he'd call Callen again before they left on Saturday. Kono reminded Amy about Kehe Point and Hanauma Bay before she said good night. Callen and Amy waved as they pulled away from the hotel. He was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than take a hot shower and fall into bed with Amy.

After they showered together, and fooled around a bit while in the shower, Amy laid him on the bed, straddled him and gave him a quick back massage to work out the knots.

"Why are we paying for massages when I have your wonderful hands? Ow." He said as she dug her thumb deep into one of the knots.

She leaned down to his ear and told him. "That's not really fair to me now is it?"

Her wet hair tickled his back. He rolled over onto his back and pulled her on top of him and kissed her. "No, it's not fair to you. Thank you. My back feels better."

"You're welcome. Are you ready for bed?" she asked looking at the clock on the nightstand.

"Yeah I am." He said turning off the lamp and pulling her down into the bed against him.

They talked for a while about the plan for the next day and agreed that they'd go to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling and whatever else they happen to find to do. Within minutes of their last words, they were both fast asleep.

Maggie was up with the baby and one of her nightmares, she was about to lay her back down when her phone rang. She knew the ringtone well.

"Hey Toya, What's up?" she said to her friend.

"I just sent you something I saw in the paper. I wanted to be on the phone with you when you read it." Toya said, giddy.

"Okay, I just got it; let me put it on speaker phone." She said juggling the baby and her phone. "What the hell, are you serious? She got married."

Toya laughed at her friend's response. "I knew you'd love that."

"Since she isn't getting any money from Rick anymore, she decided to find a new victim. What a frigging whore." Maggie spat into the phone.

"Apparently she and this guy started seeing each other right after she moved off base and filed for divorce." Toya told her.

"Oh my God! God damn drag-queen looking bitch, look at how much weight she lost. She actually looks female now." Maggie complained.

"From what I heard, she isn't working yet either." Toya said with a laugh.

"Why am I not surprised? He probably makes money hand over fist. Once a frigging gold-digger, always a frigging gold-digger. I'm going to call my lawyer, see if I can sue her and her new husband since she's responsible for me not getting child support anymore." Maggie said getting up to put the baby back to bed.

"Maggie, you're as responsible for it as she is. You're just pissed because she actually got him thrown in Leavenworth. They aren't going to let you sue her for child support." Toya tried to reason with her.

"And Rick probably snapped and kidnapped those stupid-ass kids because he found out she was screwing her new boyfriend. Then I'll find another reason to sue her. I'll say she's harassing me or something. Sue her for mental anguish. I'll find a way to screw her over like she's screwed me over." Maggie laughed.

"Maggie just leave her be, she's been through enough, just let her be happy." Toya said defending her former friend.

"Whoa, wait a minute Toya, who's friend are you mine or hers. Remember, she dropped you like a sack of frigging potatoes when she found out you were still talking to me." Maggie reminded her.

"Yes Maggie, I remember. But you have to understand, Amy and I were friends for over ten years. I know her better than she probably knows herself. You've done enough to her and those kids." Toya told her.

"Oh, Toya having second thoughts. It's been almost two years, get over it." Maggie snapped.

"No, I'm not; we just have a very long history together." Toya said.

"Well, you go right ahead and wallow in the past and cry over what could've been. I'm going to knock this bitch off her ladder. You can either sit back and watch me or you can help me." Maggie told her.

"I'm with you Maggie, just don't hurt the kids. They have nothing to do with this." Toya asked.

"Oh piss off, Toya." Maggie said and hung up.

Toya sat back on the bed and just looked at the phone wondering what she'd just done. She regretted showing the announcement to her now and worried about what she was going to try to do to Amy now. Between Rick and Maggie, Amy had been through hell. Maggie constantly trashing her on every social media site she could find. She's asked her to stop ripping Amy apart before, but was Maggie's next target with the daggers, so she dropped it. Toya contemplated contacting her former friend to forewarn her, she looked at the time and grabbed her Mac Book to start looking for an address and phone number.


	24. Chapter 24

Callen and Amy woke in just enough time to get dressed and head down to the spa for their nine o'clock massage. They hadn't planned on sleeping so late, but they were so tired after the afternoon at the beach, too much sun and dinner. Like the previous day, they undressed and were led to the same veranda. Callen and Amy once again stole a kiss before lying down and held hands as long as they could before the masseuses worked on their arms and hands. It was so relaxing; the masseuses were kind enough to let them lay there for a while before they got up to get dresses. Rejuvenated, they walked back to the dressing room and got dresses.

They went back up to the room to pick-up all of the gifts for everyone so they could head to the post office to mail them home. Both Amy and Callen were upset that they only had two days left on the island. As they walked through the lobby with their bags, Callen wondered if Amy was really going to be able to fit everything in one box. At the post office, she picked a large-sized box, taped the bottom and rolled each garment. There was even room enough for the book Callen had gotten her. Needless to say, he was pleased that she hadn't read even one page yet and even happier when she decided to ship it home. The box cost less than twenty dollars to mail home. Callen was shocked.

Callen and Amy went back to the room to get their towels, masks and snorkels so they could head down the coast to Hanauma Bay. They opted to call a cab, so they wouldn't waste time on public transportation and made arrangements to be picked up by four. The bay was beautiful, with its crystal clear blue. The water was calm and warm. Amy didn't think they'd see so many different types of fish when Kono told her about the bay, but there were literally hundreds of them.

From muddy brown colored to bright neon fish that looked as if they'd been hand painted. After two hours in the water, they decided to go get lunch and stopped into several shops. By the end of their visit in Hanauma Bay, they'd purchased two small oil paintings reminding them of the views from their hotel room. On the way back to the hotel, Danny called and invited them out to the karaoke bar that night. Amy wasn't looking forward to getting up on stage again, but agreed to sing at least once.

"What are you wearing tonight?" Callen asked as he went through his clothes in the closet.

"You'll see." Amy said from the bathroom.

"Tease." He laughed.

"I know you didn't just call me a tease." She said standing in the doorway.

Callen looked at her from head to toe and smiled. She was wearing a short black skirt and a halter-style red blouse. "I did, what are you going to do about it?" he smiled.

She sauntered towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I could think of at least fifty way of punishing you for that."

Callen put his hands on her back expecting to find material; instead there was nothing but loose strings. "Wearing this, you are being a tease. You're not leaving much to the imagination."

Amy turned around and asked, "Would you tie me up?"

He looked at her exposed back and that sexy tattoo. "I'd love to tie you up. When and where?"

Amy turned to face him. "Well, that's something to try, but not what I meant. Please tie the back of the blouse."

Callen kissed her and smiled. "I knew exactly what you meant."

He turned her around and tied the two sets of strings. "Thank you." She said.

"So, I know they're Egyptian symbols, but what exactly is your tattoo and what does it mean?" He asked kissing the back of her neck at the very tip of the tattoo.

"The center is an Ankh; the eyes are the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Rah. All three are for protection." She told him looking back over her shoulder.

"Have I ever told you how sexy I think it is?" he asked.

"Every time you see it." She smiled turning to face him.

"Good, just so you know." He smiled kissing her long and deep.

Thirty minutes later, they emerged from their room and headed to the Karaoke bar to meet the others. The bar was packed for a Thursday night, they thought. Most of those who were there tonight were some of the same people who were there Tuesday night as well. Callen saw Danny, Steve and Kono sitting at a table and crossed the room to join them.

"Hey you guys." Danny said standing to greet them.

Callen pulled two more chairs over from another table and held one out for Amy. Everyone stopped by the table to ask if Amy was going to sing and she told them that she didn't think so, she just wanted to enjoy a fun night out with friends. All walked away dejected and upset. So many asked that she finally gave in and sang the same song she did with Marcy; A Thousand Miles and played along on the piano. She received the same overwhelming response as she did before.

Callen could tell that she wasn't acting like herself and began to worry. She didn't seem overly tired, but they did spend a good part of the day in the sun and water. She truly looked like she was worried about something. By seven, Callen was offering to take her back to the hotel. At eight, she finally agreed.

When they got back to the room, Callen ordered room service and they ate on the balcony. "I don't want to go anywhere tomorrow. I just want to stay here in the room with you and not have to get out of bed or dressed unless we absolutely have to." He told her.

Amy smiled, "Sounds like a good plan. I can't believe tomorrow's out last day here. I don't want to go home, but I do because I miss the kids so much. I honestly think you're going to be called away as soon as you go back to work."

"Is that what's bothering you" He asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Just a funny feeling I have." She said.

"How often do you get those funny feelings?" he asked sipping his red wine.

"Let's see, I got one a couple weeks before the wedding when you had to spend the week in Mexico. Before Rick took the kids and before Awan kidnapped me." She said.

"You knew or you just had a feeling that things were out of sorts?"

"Just that something was going to happen. Not necessarily that it was bad or good. It's hard to explain." She said taking the last bite of her steak.

"And you're worried?" he asked again.

"I am." She admitted.

"I doubt it's anything serious." He said sympathizing, because they didn't need anything else to happen.

"How about we change and lay in bed watching TV?" he asked.

"I love the idea. A little bit of home right here in Hawaii, except that the kids aren't here to join us." She sighed.

"We can leave tomorrow if you want. It's not like we've got plans." He offered.

"No, we've already paid for tomorrow night and we'd have to find a flight. We'll just do like you said and stay in tomorrow." She smiled.

They carried the plates into the dinette, poured the rest of the bottle of wine between their two glasses and went to the bedroom. Amy love cuddling and watching TV with Callen. It didn't matter what they watched, they were together. Half the time, they weren't even watching whatever program they had on. If the kids weren't in the room, they usually talked or fooled around. Tonight, they were content just holding each other and talking or watching TV.

They fell asleep early and slept late. Callen only got out of bed to receive breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rest of the time, he and Amy just laid there and enjoyed each other. They talked about the kids and what they had planned for Kristy's birthday and the fourth of July. Amy was a little discouraged that they didn't talk about the one thing she really wanted to; having a baby.

She wanted to have a baby with him, give him a child of his own, their own. Amy knew that he loved Kristy, Ricky and Jenny as if they were his, but she felt like she was cheating him out of the whole fatherhood experience if they didn't have a baby. She was scared; given the problems she'd had with her other pregnancies and who's to say she could get pregnant, if not already pregnant. They needed to talk about it soon.

Saturday morning, Callen suggested one more trip to the beach before heading to the airport. Amy was game. The beach was packed with tourists; they were able to find a small spot in the sand to set their stuff at. Callen took off his t-shirt and helped Amy untie her wrap. He kissed her before walking down the beach to the water. They waded into the water and watched the kids playing in the waves. Squealing and shrieking as the waves got them. Callen and Amy were going to miss Hawaii, but were happy to go home to the kids.

After an hour, they packed up and headed back to the room. They had a few hours before they needed to be at the airport, so Callen took advantage of it and made love to his wife one last time while they were still in paradise. Amy was wild and insatiable. Callen loved it. They tried a myriad of new positions. God he loved her body, and she his. With an hour to get to the airport, they packed the last few items and headed out the door. It just so happened that Mark and Marcy were leaving with their luggage too. The four checked out and rode to the airport together. Callen had booked them on a domestic carrier for their flight home.

Mark and Marcy were flying into LA for a week before heading back up to Oregon. They just happened to be on the same flight. After checking in and checking their bags, they went through security and onto their gate. Callen saw the Starbucks in the terminal and asked Amy if she wanted anything. Of course, she wanted her Venti Extra Caramel, Caramel Frappachino. Aside from their wedding cake a week ago, she'd been very good and stuck to her diet.

"So you guys live in LA?" Marcy asked.

"Not LA proper, but Culver City, right by the Sony Studios." Amy told her as they waited for the guys to return.

"Oh, ok our friends live in Santa Monica. We should get together sometime next week before we head back to Oregon." Marcy suggested.

"Callen starts back to work on Monday and I have a feeling he's going to have to go away on business. It will be just the kids and I." Amy said.

"I'd love to meet your kids. How often do you get up to Oregon?" Marcy asked.

"Wow, we haven't been up there since Easter of two thousand six, two years before Jenny was born." Amy told her smiling at Callen as he walked back with Mark.

"You guys should totally come up, we'll go camping. Or something. Callen and Mark and your son can go fishing." Marcy suggested as the guys joined them.

"Camping and fishing." Callen said. "Sounds like fun."

"I haven't been camping in years. I've got two tents, a couple sleeping bags, a lantern or two and a stove." Amy told Callen.

"Not to mention all those fishing poles." Callen smiled, kissing her.

"True, I'm sure there's a tackle box out there somewhere with lures and hooks." She said.

"Good, sounds like you guys are all set then. Probably later this summer if you can get the time off, Callen." Mark said.

"You could even call your brother and his family." Marcy suggested.

"Very true." Amy smiled.

The flight crew arrived and boarded the plane fifteen minutes before the announcement was made for pre-boarding. Thirty minutes later, they were walking down the ramp to their plane. Amy was giddy; she'd flown on everything but a seven-forty-seven. That was until now. They took their seats in coach; Mark and Marcy were able to be assigned the seats next to them, so the four were sitting together.

"Hey woman, how are you?" She asked as Toya answered the phone.

"I'm good, how are you?" she asked.

"Not too bad. I was wondering if you'd like some company over the Fourth." Maggie asked casually.

"Hell yeah, I'd love to have you here. We're gonna get trashed." Toya said dancing around her living room.

"Good, I'll be there on the first; I'm flying into San Diego. Can you pick us up?" Maggie asked.

"Sure, the kids and I will be there with bells on." Toya told her.

"Thank you, now I need you to do me a favor, find out where Amy's living now. I want to pay the bitch a visit." Maggie said with a devious grin.

Toya paused. "Are you really going to go to her house and start shit?"

"Of course, her new husband needs to know what kids of woman he married." She told her.

"I wish you'd just leave her alone." Toya said.

"Damn it Toya, give me a break. It will be fun. You can beat her ass for everything she ever did to piss you off." Maggie said.

"Alright Maggie, whatever. Look, I've got to go. I'll call you back in a while." Toya said and hung up.

Toya went through her phone and found Amy's number. She needed to warn her that Maggie was coming out and wanted to confront her. There was no answer, so she didn't bother to leave a message. It was odd through that Amy didn't answer her phone. She hoped everything was alright.

Two hours into the flight, Callen and Amy fell asleep. They woke to the announcement that they were making their decent into LA. It was almost ten by the time they landed and the plane taxied to the terminal. The two couples walked up the ramp and down to baggage claim. Marcy and Amy scooted off to one side so the other passengers could walk past without a problem and exchanged numbers with the hopes of getting together next week. Within fifteen minutes, Callen and Mark walked up with their bags. They said goodbye and headed in opposite directions.

As they waited for a cab, Amy checked her phone and noticed she had a missed call. As soon as she saw who it was, she deleted it. It had been a year or better since she heard from Toya and wondered what kind of trouble she was trying to stir up now. She threw her phone back into her purse when the cab pulled up. Callen and the driver put their bags in the trunk and they were off. Amy wished the kids were home, but Sam and Michelle were bringing them back the following afternoon.

The porch light was on when they pulled into the driveway. Amy pulled out her keys and opened up the house, turning on the lights in the entry and dining room before going back out to help Callen with the bags. Callen paid the driver before bringing the last of the bags in the house. Amy was standing at the table going through the mail. He walked up to her and looked over her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She kissed him, dropped the mail on the table and turned to face him.

"Welcome home, my wife. You ready to spend our first married night at home?" Callen smiled.

"Oh yes. As comfortable as the bed was at the hotel, I'm going to definitely enjoy sleeping in our bed tonight." She smiled.

"Are you hungry?" Callen asked.

She laughed and kissed him. "What are you offering?"

"I was actually offering food, not myself." He laughed.

"Mmm, too bad." She kissed him again.

Callen lifted her and sat her on the table. "We've not ever done it on the dining room table."

"We eat here, Callen." She said smacking his arm.

"I know, I was more or less joking." He laughed. "Oh we'll be going upstairs in a little bit, I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat."

"Just you," she smiled and pulled him to her. She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him deeply.

"Let's just go up stairs." He said tongue tied. He hated how she could reduce him to a blithering fool with just one kiss.

She walked backwards up the stairs tossing an item of clothing at him as she went. By the time they reached the bedroom, she was standing there naked. Amy walked to Callen and unbuttoned his shirt while he undid his pants and allowed them to slip off his hips. He kissed her hard and pulled her into his arms as he reached down for one of her legs. She hopped into his arms and wrapped her legs around him as he pushed her up against the wall. God she was so ready for him, with little effort, he slipped himself into her depths. She felt so good, arching her back to meet his thrusts. He softly kissed from her collarbone to her chin and found her mouth.

He moved to the bed, laying her on her back and slowed his pace. She was in heaven; Callen hit every spot he needed to send waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She loved how he could go from rough to slow and sensual. He was truly the perfect man and his talents in the bedroom far exceeded her expectations. Every time they had sex, it got better and better. Just when she thought it could get no better, he pulled something else from his bag of tricks sending her to the moon and back.

Amy woke exactly where she wanted, Callen's arms. She had no idea what time it was, but knew it had to be after eight by the way the sun filtered through the blinds. Callen stirred when she kissed his chest and smiled at her when he opened his eyes. So often she'd gotten lost in his blue eyes and was doing so again until he kissed her.

"How did you sleep?" he asked softly.

"So good to be back in our own bed." She smiled.

"Do you want to go out for breakfast?" Callen asked hearing his stomach growl.

"Sure. Too bad we couldn't call for room service." She smiled.

"I know." He said pulling her closer to him. "I love you, Mrs. Callen.

"I love you too, Mr. Callen." She smiled and kissed him.

After breakfast, they decided to do some grocery shopping since her Mom said the cupboards were getting pretty bare. They loaded up on the kid's favorite snacks and everything else they usually bought. Callen was looking at the fresh fruit, Amy picked up a bag of apples and oranges, setting it in the cart. Callen picked up some bananas, cherries and a couple melons before returning to the cart. Amy laughed at how full his arms were.

They picked up the hot dogs and hamburgers for Kristy's birthday party and the ribs for the fourth of July. Amy asked Callen to remind her to pick up a couple cans of pineapple and pineapple juice so she could marinade the ribs. Callen picked up a few packs of chicken, steaks and pork chops, hefting them back to the cart. Amy was walking back to the cart with a couple packages of Italian sausage when her phone rang. Expecting it to be the kids, Callen walked to her side. As soon as she saw that it was Toya she rejected the call and threw her phone in her purse.

"Who was that?" Callen asked.

"It was Toya, my ex-best friend." She said pushing the cart up the aisle.

"Why is she calling?" Callen asked grabbing a couple boxes of pasta and putting them in the cart.

"She probably wants to start more shit." She said trying to decide between macaroni and cheese or shells and cheese. "She's the absolute last person I want to talk to."

"Get a couple of each, we can mix them." Callen said knowing what Amy was trying to figure out.

"I love shopping with you as opposed to the kids. I can deal with the extra stuff you throw in the cart. It's usually edible whereas the kids throw crap in there." She smiled kissing him.

"So what exactly happened between you and Toya? You've started to tell me a few times and we always get interrupted." He said looking at the spaghetti sauces.

"We'd been friends for almost ten years and she picked Maggie over me. End of story. Roasted Garlic and meat sauce?" she said matter of factly.

"Maggie as in Rick's Maggie?" he asked.

Amy took a deep breath and smiled. "Exactly."

"Ah okay." He said grabbing a jar of Pesto sauce.

"The kids won't eat it." Amy said wishing they would, she loved Pesto.

Callen smiled and put it in the cart anyway. "We've got to get going. Sam and Michelle will be at the house in about an hour with the kids."

They finished the rest of the shopping and checked out. Callen was unloading the last of the bags as Sam pulled into the driveway. Amy and Callen dropped everything and ran outside when the kids got out of the car. There were lots of hugs exchanged.

"Were they good Sam?" Amy asked.

"Of course they were. They helped Michelle out a lot, so much that I made them promise to help you out." He smiled.

"Good, I'm glad they were so helpful, but I wouldn't hold your breath when it comes to helping out here." Amy laughed giving him a hug. "Michelle is coming over, right? We were going to make dinner."

"Yeah, she'll be here in a few minutes. So tell me all about it. Did you guys have fun?" he asked.

"Oh, it was absolutely beautiful. I was so surprised when we landed. Callen never told me where we were going." She smiled as they walked into the house.

"Where's all the stuff you got us?" Kristy asked.

Callen and Amy smiled. "It should be here tomorrow or Tuesday. We shipped it home because there was so much."

"Good idea." Sam said crossing his arms over his chest. "You two look nicely tanned and very relaxed."

Callen pulled Amy close and kissed her temple. "We had a great time."

"Yes we did." Amy smiled devilishly.

Sam covered his ears. "I don't need a detailed description."

Michelle arrived fifteen minutes later and hugged Amy tight when she walked into the house, "So good to have you home, it took so much restraint not to call you just to talk while you were gone."

"I missed you too." Amy told her.

Callen pulled four bottles of beer from the refrigerator and passed them out. "So what can we make you for dinner?"

"Oh, you're making us dinner?" Michelle said looking at Sam. "Whatever you'd like."

Callen and Amy looked at each other. "Steaks."

Amy walked to the fridge and pulled out a couple packages of steaks and pulled the roasting pan from the cabinet. She placed the steaks in the pan, pulled out one of the big cans of pineapple juice from the pantry and poured it over the steaks. Callen watched with wonder at what she was creating. Amy got out some garlic, crushing and mincing it before putting it in with the steaks.

"I love watching her cook." Callen said to Sam and Michelle who were watching as well.

"Well, that's all I'm going to do to them. We're going to have to pick up some more pineapple juice for the ribs." She told him as she covered the pan with foil.

"Alright." He said kissing her.

"So, tell us all about Hawaii." Michelle said excitedly.

"Oh it was so beautiful. The weather was absolutely perfect, when I was there the first time it rained a few times, it didn't rain once. The snorkeling was good. Callen learned to surf." Amy said whimsically.

Sam started to laugh. "You learned to surf, how'd that go?"

"Not bad, but not good either. I hurt like hell the next day." Callen laughed.

"It was so funny, a couple times when he fell. I felt bad for him. Danny and Steve said he did pretty well for a beginner." Amy added.

"So you did meet-up with the guys from the police department." Sam said.

"Yeah, we went to dinner with them the day of the bomb threat at the hotel and then we met up at the karaoke bar Thursday night." Callen told them.

Michelle crossed her arms and gave Amy a look. "So I hear you've got a set of pipes on you."

Amy smiled and rolled her eyes. "How did I know that would be brought up tonight? Yes, I can sing and play a few instruments. Callen's made more of my ability than he should I'm not really that good."

"Amy, give yourself more credit than that. You're great up there." Callen smiled.

"So how many instruments do you play?" Michelle asked.

"Piano, guitar and violin, but I haven't touched any of the three in years." She said.

"Could've fooled me." Callen said.

The kids were playing outside, so the four adults went out to the patio until it was time to start the grill. Callen and Amy told them more about their week in Hawaii. Callen went upstairs to get the camera and hooked it up to the TV. They really didn't take too many pictures. At four, Callen started the grill and they four stood around outside while the steaks were cooking. After dinner, Sam, Michelle and the kids left. Callen, Amy and the kids sat on the couch and watched TV until it was time to go to bed. They locked up and headed up stairs with them. Callen and Amy watched TV for a while before falling asleep.

Amy was up at six and had coffee waiting for Callen when he got out of the shower. She sat on the bed while be got dressed. Callen wished he could have just one more day off to be with Amy and the kids before going back to work. He had a half-hour to spare, so he lay down with Amy.

"I'm going to miss having you around today." She told him as he kissed her neck.

"I know, I just want one more day." He smiled.

"And you'd want one more day after that. It's a vicious cycle." She smiled down at him.

"I want just one more hour. Start the day how we did in Hawaii." He said pulling her down in the bed. Callen pinned her beneath him.

"You could always come home for lunch. It'd have to be a quickie, or you could always wait until tonight." She smiled between kisses.

"I could always call in and tell them I'm running late." Callen told her, kissing her passionately.

"As much as I'd enjoy some fun this morning, you really should be on time since you just had a week off." She smiled pulling him back for another kiss.

He sighed and rested his head on her chest. "I know I just don't want to leave."

They kissed once more before Callen tore himself away, helped her off the bed and walked downstairs. She walked him to the door and said good bye, watching him pull out of the driveway and down the street. No sooner did she close the door and she heard him pull back into the driveway. She opened the door to see what was wrong and he kissed her one last time.

"I love you." He smiled.

She was laughing. "You came back just for that?"

"Yes." He smiled.

"I love you too." She said and kissed him.

Callen walked into the office with his heart just not into it. He wanted to be anywhere Amy and the kids were. Sam, Kensi and Deeks were already in the bullpen and greeted him as he dropped his bag on his desk.

"G, you okay?" Sam asked.

"Usually, I look forward to coming to work. This morning, I'd rather be at home with my wife and kids." He said walking away to get a cup of coffee.

Kensi, Sam and Deeks looked at each other and smiled. "So I take it you had a good time on your honeymoon?" Kensi asked.

Callen returned to his desk with a huge smile. "I did, we did. Amy and I really enjoyed the time alone."

"Good Morning Mr. Callen." Hetty said walking into the bullpen. "I trust you and Amy enjoyed your honeymoon."

"Yes we did, thank you." Callen said sipping his coffee.

"Then why so sullen?" she asked

"For the first time ever, I didn't want to come in today." He said thinking about Amy.

Hetty smiled warmly, "Well, I apologize, but duty calls."

Nell and Eric walked down the stairs to say good morning.

"So I thought you guys were bringing stuff back for us." Deeks said.

Callen smiled and shook his head. "We shipped it home; it should be here today or tomorrow. Amy was planning on giving it to you guys when you came over for the barbeque on the fourth of July."

"So we have to come over for dinner in order to get it. Who's cooking?" Deeks asked.

"Amy and I both are cooking, but she'd doing the meat. Ribs." Callen said,

"Well, I hate to break up the reunion, but we've got information on Kahn." Nell announced.

"Should we go up to Ops?" Sam asked.

"No, we can show you everything here." Nell said tapping on her tablet. The information appeared on the screen in the bullpen. "Okay, meet Ahmed Kahn. Originally from Pakistan; Kahn and his family moved to Kuwait shortly before Desert Storm. When the war broke out, Kahn was away on business, leaving his wife and two children to fend for themselves. Once he was able to return home, his wife fell ill. They them came to the states where they would move from one major medical facility to another trying to get to the bottom of her medical condition. Eventually, she was diagnosed with something very similar to Gulf War Syndrome while at Stanford Medical Center near Palo Alto. Within two years, both of their children got sick with the same symptoms. They too were diagnosed with the same illness."

"Were they treated?" Callen asked.

"Yes, Stanford worked closely with the VA Hospital to start treatment. Kahn's wife eventually wound up taking her own life as a result." She added.

"What about the kids are they still alive?" Callen asked.

"Yes, the children are still alive, but their health is failing quickly." She said matter of factly.

"Do we know where they're currently living in Atherton, south of San Francisco? Kahn is taking them to both Stanford and UC San Francisco medical center for treatment." Nell said.

"Do we know exactly why he's targeting the military? Does he blame the military for his family's illnesses?" Callen asked.

"Yes, he does. He's targeting military dependants and families as revenge for his wife's death. Before he found employment in the bay area, he was paying for their medical expenses out of his own pocket." She told them.

"I take it he got a job to get the medical insurance?" Sam asked.

"Yes, but the children; now teenagers; were denied coverage because the illness was considered a pre-existing condition." Nell said.

"I'm surprised he's not going after the insurance company too." Sam added.

"Well, actually he is. In addition to petitioning the insurance company times, he's also filed several lawsuits that are still in litigation." She said.

"So what are we doing going up there to get him?" Callen asked.

"He's been in contact with several of the radical human rights groups in the bay area. Intel says they're planning a protest that going to be a little more than a peaceful at several of the southern California bases. We don't know yet exactly what they're planning, but we know they're planning it for the Fourth of July ninety-six." She said looking back down at her tablet.

"Hetty, what are we doing?" Callen asked.

Hetty was leaning against Sam's desk listening to Nell. "I think you and your team should go up to Northern California and keep an eye on him. We know he works for one of the larger software companies in Cupertino. Talk to his employer and co-workers. Watch the house to see who comes and goes. We need to get them before the Fourth of July."

Callen shook his head, Amy was right. "Hetty, since we're going to Northern California, can I have Amy and the kids go up there separately, they can visit with her parents?"

"No, Mr. Callen. You can call her, but I wouldn't recommend having them go up there. You need to remain focused on the case. I do as that you talk to her about the area since she did grow up there. Nell, wait to make their travel arrangements until you've heard from Callen." She said.

"Alright." Nell said looking from Hetty to Callen.

"Let's see what we can get on his life up in Atherton. Find out who we need to talk to when we get up there. I'll talk to Amy about where to flying into and stay." He said picking up the phone.

Amy was rinsing the breakfast dishes and loading them into the dishwasher when Callen called. "Hey honey, how's your day so far?"

"Going, hey we've got a suspect in Northern California. I need your help on where would be the best place to fly into and or stay while we're conducting our investigation. He lives in Atherton and works in Cupertino." He said.

"Cupertino? That's in my parent's backyard. You guys would probably want to stay somewhere in Atherton and just drive down to Cupertino. Let me guess, you're going up North?" she said.

"Yeah, we are. You were right." He laughed.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" she asked.

"We've got a July Fourth deadline." He told her. "I'll tell you more about it when I get home tonight. So you suggest staying in Atherton and driving to Cupertino?"

"Where in Cupertino does he work? There are several hotels that say you and Sam or Kensi and Deeks could stay at while the other two are in Atherton." She said.

"I don't know. Hold on." He said while he called up to Ops. "He works in the area of Pruneridge Avenue and Wolfe Road. Do you know the area?"

Amy laughed. "Yea, I sure do. The apartment complex I worked at when Rick and I met is on Pruneridge. You've got a Hilton and Garden Inn and two apartment complexes in the immediate area, there's a large shopping complex; Cupertino Village over there. Highway two eighty is right behind the apartments and the hotel. On the other side of the freeway is a mall."

"Perfect. Where would you suggest flying into?" He asked.

"If you're going to charter a MAG flight, you might be able to fly into Moffett; otherwise your best bet is flying into San Jose International Airport. There's also Reid-Hillview general aviation airport, but that's way down in south San Jose." She said.

"Alright Honey, you've been most helpful. Remind me to properly thank you when I get home tonight." He said not noticing his coworkers were listening.

"I love you." She said.

"Love you too, Amy. See you later." He said and hung up. He could feel their eyes on him. He finished writing down the information and looked up at them. "What?"

Everyone laughed. He shook his head and went up to Ops with the others in toe. It was decided that they'd fly into San Jose International Airport and drive into Cupertino to talk to Kahn's employer and co-workers. Their flight was schedule for nine twenty Tuesday morning. They spent the rest of the day working on Ahmed Kahn's background, bank accounts and daily routine. Hetty let them off a couple hours early to get themselves packed.

By the time Callen got home, he was mentally exhausted. He was so happy to be home. Amy was in the kitchen working on dinner when he walked in. The very first thing he did was give her a kiss. They talked a few minutes before Kristy came in.

"Hey Callen, how was your day?" She asked getting a glass from the cupboard.

"Not bad, honey, how was yours?" he asked.

"Boring, what are you doing home so early? The last time you were home thing early was because you had to go out of town for a case." She said, and then realized he most likely was leaving. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"I have to go up North for a few days." He told her grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"But when are you coming back? You're going to be here for my birthday, aren't you?" she said with tears in her eyes.

"We're going to try to be here, but we may not make it." Callen paused and looked at Amy. "If we aren't back in time, you're Mom's still going to have your party. We will celebrate your birthday when I get back, I promise."

Kristy was crying, Callen set his beer on the counter and pulled Kristy into a hug. "You have to be here, Callen."

"I will do everything I can to be here. There might be the chance that we won't catch this guy before then. Everyone's looking forward to coming over for your birthday and staying for the Fourth of July party. We all are going to do everything we can to get back in time." He tried to reassure her.

"You have to, I won't celebrate my party without you here." She said and stomped away.

Callen just stood there. "I know it was going to be hard, but I didn't know it would be this hard."

Amy washed her hands, grabbed the towel and walked over to him. "Honey, she's not purposely trying to lay a guilt trip. She's just getting used to the idea that her father isn't coming back. She loves you, relies on you and knows that you're always here for her."

"But I'm not Amy; this is the second time we've gotten called out of town in a month. How much am I really here for them?" he asked.

"Honey, in the year that we've been together, this is only the second time you've had to go away. This is still new for the kids, having a man who wants to spend time with them and who will go out of his way to be with them. Baby, she's not mad at you, she'd mad at the situation." Amy told him with her arms around his neck.

"I don't know how Sam does this." He said with a sigh.

"We've got tonight. How about I put all if this back in the refrigerator and we order a pizza and watch a movie." She suggested. "I'll help you pack and then you can thank me for my help earlier today."

Callen smiled from ear to ear. "Sounds so good."

Amy kissed him. They put everything away and ordered pizzas. After the movie and the kids went to bed, Callen and Amy were upstairs packing his bag and talking.

"So where are you guys going first, Atherton or Cupertino?" she asked with a pen and paper in her hand to write down directions.

"Cupertino. We will talk to everyone at his office and then head up to Atherton." He said folding one of his shirts and placing it in the bag.

"Ok, I'll give you directions to get you there the quickest way possible." She smiled and started writing.

"Could you give me your parent's address, I'll stop in and say hi to them one of the days we aren't too busy?" He asked walking to the bathroom to get his shaving bag.

"I wish Hetty had said it was okay for the kids to follow you up. I'd love to spend some more time with my parents. I'll give you directions to Atherton from both the two eighty and Foothill Expressway." She told him writing both sets of directions.

"I know, but I'll call you every chance I get." He said taking the pen and paper from her, kissing her.


	25. Chapter 25

Callen woke Amy early Tuesday in the same fashion they had several mornings when they were in Hawaii. She'd been dreaming about it and was more than ready when he started kissing and touching her. It was a short lovemaking session, but it was the kind of toe curling sex she loved. They knew it would be the last time for at least a week. He was gently in his ways but ravaged her like there was no tomorrow. To him, there was no tomorrow only here and now.

They went downstairs together after a shower; she made him coffee and breakfast. He loved watching her work in the kitchen as much as he loved watching her when they made love. She made him four pancakes, eggs and a few slices of bacon. Amy sat with him as he ate, making sure he ate every last bite. She loved taking care of him. It was tempting to broach the subject of a baby, but she chose to let it go and not ruin the perfect morning. Before heading to work, Callen went up and said goodbye to the kids. It broke his heart when all three burst into tears and Jenny refused to let him go. She held on so tight she nearly choked him. God, he loved these kids.

"Alright, Amy." He said coming down the stairs. She had tears in her eyes. "Oh Amy, not you too?"

"I'm sorry; I'm going to miss you." She sobbed against his neck when he held her.

Fighting his own tears, he said, "I know Honey, I'm going to miss you too. I'll call as soon as we land and as often as I can until I come home. I love you."

"I love you too." She said kissing him before he walked out to the garage. It took every ounce of strength she had not to run after him. Her anxiety level was so high; she still had that feeling something was going to happen and was scared to death that it would happen to him.

Callen saw the fear in her face and walked back to her as the garage door went up. "I promise I will be careful."

Amy threw her arms around him and held him tight. "You have to, I can't lose you."

They kissed once more and she watched him pull out of the driveway. He purposely put the door down so she wouldn't stand there and watch him. Amy sat on the steps leading into the house and cried. She felt like her heart was being ripped out.

Callen watched in the rearview mirror as he drove away from the house. He didn't see Amy or the kids chasing after him and was somewhat relieved. Amy and her feelings had his anxiety level up as well. She'd been right about all of them since they'd been together. He was determined to make it back safely with all of his team members. Callen pulled into the parking lot of the mission and pulled his bags from the trunk before walking into the office. Sam was already there, sitting at his desk going through emails.

"Good morning." Callen said as he set his stuff down. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?" Sam asked looking up from his laptop.

"Can you ask Michelle to check on Amy and the kids fairly often? They all had a really hard time this morning when I left and Amy's got this feeling that something's going to happen. I just want to make sure they're okay while we're gone." He said walking to get himself a cup of coffee.

"You don't even have to ask, G. Michelle has already planned on calling her at least once a day and spending the weekend with them if we aren't back yet." Sam reassured him.

"Thank you. I don't know what we'd do without you guys." He smiled as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Same goes for you guys. It's been great seeing you go from the consummate bachelor to a family man. It's been good for you, I'm happy you finally let someone in." Sam said stretching.

Kensi and Deeks arrived a few minutes later and they were all called up to Ops for a briefing before they left for the airport. It was short, but informative. Nell told them that Kahn had a nurse staying with his children while he was at work and that they should be able to question them without a problem. Callen was pleased with how well everything was coming together and hoped for a quick arrest.

The flight was short, it felt like they no sooner got up to altitude and they were already making their decent into San Jose. Callen watch out the window at the area where his wife grew up and he missed her even more. Once they landed, they took the shuttle to their rental car and headed out of the airport using the directions Amy had given them. Once they were on Central Expressway, it was smooth sailing, so much that they passed their exit. Callen quickly called Amy to see if there was another way to get to Wolfe Road other than getting back on the expressway going in the opposite direction.

"Hey Amy, we passed our exit, is there another we can use to get to where we need to go?" He quickly said seeing another exit about another mile down the road.

"Have you passed the Fair Oaks exit yet?" she asked.

"No, can we take that?" he asked.

"Yes, take a left onto the street when the off-ramp ends. I can't remember the name of the street. You need to make a left onto Fair Oaks and follow it a couple miles to El Camino Real. If you hit the community center, you've gone too far. Make a left onto El Camino, at the second light make a right, that's Wolfe road. You'll cross Fremont, Inverness and Homestead. Pruneridge will be your next major intersection, you'll be making a left." She explained.

"Got it, thank you, we'd be lost without you." He said laughing. "I love you and I'll call as soon as I can."

"Alright, call if you need anything else. I love you too. You guys be safe." She said before hanging up.

They pulled into the parking lot fifteen minutes later and walked into the office building, stopping at security before heading in to talk to Kahn's boss. They were escorted to his office where he was waiting for them. He had very little information for them other than the fact that he'd missed several days of work since his kids had gotten sicker. Eric Desmond told than that he was a valuable employee to the company and had never mentioned his vendetta against the military; at least not to him. Kensi and Deeks talked with several of Kahn's co-workers without raising suspicions. They merely told them that they were from the insurance company and were inquiring about his children's conditions for the lawsuit he had filed.

By three that afternoon, they had as much information as they could get from the company and decided to head up to Atherton to check into their hotel. Callen decided instead of taking the freeway, he would try driving Foothill Expressway. They made the left at Pruneridge and Wolfe going over the freeway. Amy was spot on about the mall being on the other side, but then again he never doubted her. It was a small mall, with a Sears on one side and JCPenney on the other. Callen immediately wondered if that was the JCPenney Amy and Mahri had worked at. They made a right at Steven's Creek and took that to the base of the foothills when they picked up Foothill expressway.

"Amy said her grandparent's lived back there somewhere." He said pointing off to the right as they passed Mann Drive.

"It's too bad she couldn't come with us. I would be really handy having her with us, I'm sure she knows every back road there is up here." Kensi said from the back seat.

"Yeah, me too." Callen agreed.

It was a scenic drive; they passed several shopping centers Stanford Medical Center and the Palo Alto VA. Once Foothill expressway ended, they had to get on one of the two freeways to get to their hotel. Callen put the address into the GPS navigation app on his phone and found they needed to get on the two eighty. Once they checked into their hotel and dropped off their bags, they called Ops to let them know what they learned. Hetty advised they take the evening to acquaint themselves with the area and watch Kahn's home, then question the nurses or anyone else they found at the house the following day. Callen could tell that it was going to be a very long week and it would come down to the wire when it came to getting him before their deadline.

Amy sat at the dining room table after the kids went to bed, going through the grocery store ads. Callen had been gone for almost a week already, but it felt like months. Amy was lonely, watched her phone twenty-four hours a day waiting for a call. The last time she'd heard from Callen was Tuesday when he called to let her know they'd landed and again when they'd missed their exit. She assumed they were far too busy for him to call and understood, but was still upset. Amy should've been used to it after nearly twelve years of marriage to Rick and the Marines. Three deployments under her belt with Rick, one or two weeks with Callen away should be a cake walk. The kids were missing him too. Acting out and refusing to spend any time with her what-so-ever. What little time they did spend with her was spent complaining about his absence; which only made Amy miss him more.

She was doing like she'd done for years and making a list of all the sale items so she could go through her coupon file to see how much cheaper she could get them for. In truth, they weren't hurting for money. They were able to make ends meet and then some on Callen's salary alone, yet she was still looking for a job. Amy didn't want Callen to think she was sponging off him. Even though she had the money from the house, Callen insisted she put it in savings and added her to his account. He told her that his money was hers.

Half-way through one of the ads her phone rang. Praying it was Callen, she looked at the caller ID, it was Michelle; a close consolation. "Hey Michelle, how are you."

"I'm doing okay, how are you doing?" she asked.

Amy sighed. "I'm hanging in there."

"You miss him, don't you?" Michelle asked, hearing it in Amy's voice.

"I should be used to the separations now." Amy complained.

"Honey it never gets easier. The more you love them, the more you miss them." Michelle offered.

"I know. Have you heard from Sam?" Amy asked, hopeful.

"As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with him. If it makes you feel any better, he says Callen's wandering around like a lost puppy dog." She said, sympathetically.

Amy smiled. "It does make me feel better."

"How are the kids?" Michelle asked.

"They miss him so much. All they do is complain about him not being here. They won't even sit and watch TV with me. Kristy and I sat down to play checkers tonight and she got frustrated and went to bed. Usually she and Callen team up against Ricky and I." Amy said with a frown.

"What are you guys doing tomorrow?" Michelle asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Amy sighed.

"How about the kids and I come up and spend the day with you guys, goof off, order pizza or something?" Michelle asked, knowing she need the time with another adult as much as Amy.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day." Amy smiled.

"Good. We'll head up there around nine. I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." Michelle said yawning.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow." Amy said and hung up.

Amy was genuinely excited. She hadn't seen the Michelle but once since the wedding and that was when she and Sam dropped off the kids Sunday afternoon. Frustrated, Amy looked at the time, closed the ad and walked out to the patio. As she sat down, she looked at the pack of cigarettes she bought the day before. If Callen knew she'd started smoking again, he'd have a fit. She stared at the pack for a while before she decided to take one out and light it. Her phone rang again, but she didn't hear it since she'd closed the door to the house. She finished her cigarette and sat out for a few more minutes enjoying the early summer evening heat.

She heard the phone ringing when she opened the door and ran to the table, it was Callen.

"Hey Honey." She smiled.

"I tried to call a few times, everything okay?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm sorry I was downstairs locking up." She said hoping he bought it.

He was silent for a minute. "Where were you really at?"

"The patio." She mumbled.

"You're smoking again?" He said.

"I just miss you so much and the kids haven't been the easiest to get along with since you've been gone." She said trying not to whine.

"I'm sorry. How are you?" he asked.

In her mind's eye, she could see him lying on the bed with one arm under his head and ankles crossed. She smiled at the thought of the pose she knew so well. "I miss you so much. Like I told Michelle, I should be used to the separation."

"I miss you too." He said softly.

"How's the case going?" Amy sighed.

"It's going, we're no closer to a lead then when we got here." He told her.

"I'm sorry, Honey. I'd hoped you guys would've gotten something by now." Amy said.

"We did too. I really hope we wrap this up quick. I want to go home. As much as I like Sam, I like listening to you sleep more than him." He laughed, trying to lift her spirits.

"Oh I know the feeling. Jenny's taken over your spot in the bed. She's nice to cuddle with, but she's not you." She said smiling, Amy love cuddling with the kids.

"What about the other two, where are they sleeping?" he asked.

"Ricky's taken to sleeping on the floor and Kristy's in her room." She told him.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"They all miss you. They do nothing but complain about you not being here. Kristy's way of dealing with you being gone is by isolating herself." Amy said, knowing the news wouldn't sit well with Callen.

"Damn it, I'm sorry. Is she at least talking to you about it?"

"Yeah, we talk about it all the time. She said it doesn't feel right without you." Amy faintly smiled.

Callen sighed. "God I hate this. I'm sorry Amy."

"Honey, we all knew you'd have to go away from time to time. I think she's worried that you won't be back for her birthday." She said.

"We're trying as hard as we can to get anything. I hope we're back in time for her birthday. I don't know who'd be more upset over me missing it, me or her." He said.

"I know. It's next week, though." Amy reminded him.

"So what have you done with yourself during the day?" he asked, trying not to think about the possibility of not being there for Kristy's birthday.

"I've been running about six miles a day. I'm looking for a job." She said flatly.

"Why are you looking for a job? We have enough money to cover all the bills and everything, right?" he asked.

"We do, but I don't want you to think I'm being lazy or anything. I want to feel like I'm contributing to the household." She admitted.

"I enjoy having you home when I come home during lunch or get off early. I won't stop you if you really want to get a job. What are you going to do if you get pregnant, quit? With all of the complications you had with the other three, I don't want you working." He told her.

"Honey, are you at all concerned that I haven't gotten pregnant yet. We've been sleeping together for over a year, we haven't done anything to prevent a pregnancy and I still haven't come up pregnant." She said in a somber tone.

Callen thought for a moment. "I am a little concerned, but are we actively trying to have a baby?"

"I don't know, we've told everyone if it happens, it happens, but we really haven't talked about it. Do you want to try to have a baby?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'd like to, but Amy, if it doesn't happen, we've got Kristy, Ricky and Jenny." He told her.

"I know but they're my kids, not our kids." She said.

"No, they're ours. Biologically, they may not be mine, but I love them like they are." He admitted, his voice quivering.

After a long pause, Amy said. "I love you."

"I love you too. Yes, let's try to have a baby, but if it doesn't happen we have Kristy, Ricky and Jenny."

Amy smiled and nodded with tears in her eyes. "Alright, we'll try to have a baby."

"As much as I hate to do this, we both need to get some sleep. I miss you and the kids so much. Please give them some love for me." He said.

"I miss you too, Honey. I will give them lots of hugs and kisses for you. I love you, Callen." She sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I love you too, Amy. Goodnight." He said, waiting for her response. After she said good night, he hung up.

Callen lay in bed staring at the ceiling for an hour before he finally fell asleep. He thought about the kids and sitting on the couch with them playing a game or watching TV. Thoughts and memories from their honeymoon flashed through his mind. What he wouldn't give to have Amy in his arms like he did in Hawaii. Or to be so deep within her, God he wanted her so badly.

He smiled at the thought of having a baby, though it scared him. With all three of the kids' pregnancies, Amy had gone into pre-term labor and had pre-eclampsia. All three of the kids were born premature as a result. He didn't know if he could only touch his newborn child through the sterile gloves on an incubator. Watch the tiny little infant fight for its life. He didn't know how Amy survived while Ricky was in the NICU at UCSD Medical Center before he was transferred back to the nursery at Camp Pendleton.

Callen sighed and rolled onto his side, taking the extra pillow on the bed, clutching it to his chest as if it were Amy. He closed his eyes and dreamt of Amy's scent. Within minutes, he'd drifted off to sleep.

Amy locked up downstairs before taking her pistol out of the safe and turning off the lights. At the top of the stairs, she checked the magazine and made sure there was a bullet in the chamber. She'd taken it to bed every night when he was gone and didn't want to run the risk of something happening even though Awan was long since dead. Without Callen to protect her and the kids, her pistol became her security blanket. She sat it on the banister before going in to Kristy's room. Amy whispered in her ear that Callen had called and that he loved her, then kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. She noticed the faint smile on her face when Amy mentioned Callen to her. She walked into her bedroom and did the same for Ricky and Jenny; made sure the safety was on and tucked the pistol into the holster in her pillowcase.

She turned off the light and got into bed, thinking about the conversation she and Callen just had. Amy smiled at the thought of having another baby. Prayed she had nowhere near the complications that she had with Kristy, Ricky and Jenny. It made her feel better knowing that Maggie too had similar problems carrying Rick's child. She rolled over, looked at the clock and drifted to sleep, her heart full because she'd finally gotten to talk to Callen.

Michelle and her brood arrived shortly before noon. Amy was busy clipping coupons when they came in. The kids immediately headed to the back yard to play with Kristy, Ricky and Jenny.

"So, I take it from the smile on your face that you got to talk to Callen last night." Michelle said sitting across from her.

"Yes, I did and we finally talked about having a baby." She beamed.

"Are you pregnant?" Michelle asked excitedly.

"No, not yet that I know of. He agreed that he wanted to try though." She smiled.

"Oh you two are going to make the most beautiful babies." She said smiling at her friend's elation.

Amy's phone began bouncing around the table. She looked at it, it was Toya again, and her fourth call today. She refused the call and set the phone back down. "Who was that?" Michelle asked wondering why she'd refused the call.

"It was my ex-BFF. She started calling Saturday afternoon and hasn't stopped. She's probably just trying to stir the pot." Amy said.

"Well, instead of wondering, why don't you just answer it and see what she wants?" Michelle suggested.

"I have nothing to say to her. There is nothing she could tell me that would possibly benefit me in any way." Amy said.

The subject was officially dropped. Amy cleared the table and the two went out to watch the kids. It was a beautiful day, not too hot for June. Michelle and Amy talked for a while before the kids decided they wanted to go do something outside the house. They put all the kids in the van and just pointed it in a direction, where ever they stopped was where they went.

Toya called four more times while they were out. Once they'd returned to the house, she called again. With Michelle by her side, she answered the fifth time she called.

"Toya, honestly what is so damn important that you're trying so hard to get a hold of me?" She snapped into the phone.

"I know I'm the last person you want to talk to, but I thought I'd warn you. Maggie's coming into town for the Fourth of July and wants to show up at your house." She said quickly praying Amy didn't hang up on her.

"Well gee; I wonder where she'd get my address from. I appreciate your concern, but I'm pretty sure you're doing this with some sort of ulterior motive. I'm not scared of her or you. Stop calling me and stay the hell away from my kids and I." she said and hung up.

Michelle waited a few minutes for her to calm down before asking what had happened. "Alright, spill it."

"Apparently Maggie's coming out to California to kick my ass for some stupid bullshit. She's probably just pissed off since she's not getting child support from Rick." She told her.

"Isn't she some sort of psychotic bitch or something? I'm a little worried, you're not?" Michelle asked.

Amy laughed. "No, I'm not afraid of her. I've got my little friend that I'll shove up her nose if I have to. I just hope the guys are back if and when she does show up."

"Oh yes, you and your little friend." Michelle laughed. "I've got one of those too."

Again, they forgot all about Toya and Maggie and opened a bottle of while after dinner. The kid were playing in the back, so they sat on the patio until they came in to watch TV. After the kids went to bed, they opened a second bottle and laughed the night away. Had Callen and Sam been there, they would've been more than a little angry as the women were sharing their deepest darkest secrets about life in the bedroom.

Michelle and the kids stayed through Monday and headed home that night. Amy had so much fun. While she still thought about Callen if was a much needed distraction, even the kids were happy. Amy worried the longer she went without hearing from Callen that he wouldn't make it back in time for Kristy's birthday. She called Lauren's parents to tell them she still wanted Lauren at the house even if Callen wasn't back. Fortunately, they understood and agreed. All three kids fell asleep in her bed while they watched a movie. She watched them sleeping soundly and cuddled with each of them before pushing the dog and cat off the bed to find a spot for her to sleep.

Toya parked and took all five kids into the terminal and waited for Maggie in baggage claim. She was honestly dreading her visit. Relieved that Amy listened to what she had to say, she didn't think Amy took her seriously. Toya admitted to herself and her husband that she missed Amy and would take every negative thing she'd said or done back just to be able to talk to Amy like they used to. Maggie stood at the top of the escalator with Emily in her arms and yelled out her name. She looked up and tried to smile the best she could. Before she knew it, Maggie was right in front of her hugging her. Secretly, she hated her and would hurt her if she did anything to Amy.

"I'm here, let the party begin!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. The other passengers gave her weird looks and she cussed them out for it.

Toya looked at her oldest daughter who was shaking her head. She knew it was going to be a long visit.

"So, did you find the bitch's address for me?" Maggie asked.

"No, I wasn't able to find it." She lied.

"Well, we're just going to have to try a little harder, won't we?" She laughed.

"Whatever you say, Maggie." She said taking Emily so Maggie could get the bags.

Once she had the bags, they walked out to her van and hit the fifteen for Murrieta.

"We've got two day to get him." Callen said as they met for breakfast the morning of the first.

"We will G, stop worrying. We'll get home for Kristy's party even if we're a couple hours late." Sam said.

"We're so close; I think we'll get him tonight or tomorrow." Kensi said.

"I hope so." Callen said sipping his coffee. He picked at his breakfast.

"What's wrong, you don't like your breakfast?" Sam asked.

"Not really, Amy makes better pancakes, from scratch none of this mix crap. Her eggs taste better and she never burns the bacon." He complained.

The other three smiled. They had to get Kahn; none of them knew how much longer they could take Callen's melancholy. They listened as he continued complaining.

"Even the coffee sucks. Amy's is strong, this stuff tastes like water." He said looking into the mug.

"We get it G; you miss Amy and the kids. Not to mention Amy's cooking and coffee." Sam laughed.

Callen glared at him. "You guys done yet?"

When they continued eating he left the table to pay the bill and called Ops to see if they had any new information. They didn't.

He wanted to call Amy, but knew he'd take his anger out on her and didn't want to do that. So he waited for them in the car. When they finally came out twenty minutes later, Callen was fit to be tied. They headed to Kahn's house in Atherton to keep watch because the house keeper said he had a meeting there today. Callen hoped they hadn't missed it.

As luck would have it they didn't, fifteen minutes after they arrived a car pulled into the drive and three men got out. Deeks snapped photos of them and sent them to Eric for identification. They turned out to be the men they were looking for. While the team had been in the house last week, Kensi and Deeks snuck off and planted cameras in several of the rooms including Kahn's study. Callen opened his lap top and set it on the dash so they could watch the meeting.

The men just sat in the study talking. Finally after thirty minutes, they got something useful. The men discussed their plan to serve food at one of the concession stands at Del Mar beach on Camp Pendleton. They were going to poison whatever they were serving with the strychnine left over from Awan's debacle at the Red Lobster in Oceanside. That was all they needed to hear. Callen was on the phone with Ops and was given the order to move in.

They suited up and with the assistance of Atherton Police Department, they entered the property. Callen, Sam and several Atherton PD officers went in through the front while Kensi, Deeks and a few of the officers went in through back. Once they were in the house, they cleared the rooms one by one until they got to the study. None of them appeared to be armed, but they entered with caution.

"Federal Agents, keep your hands where we can see them." Callen yelled when they entered the room.

Kahn sat stunned behind his desk. The other three sat motionless. "Kahn, you son of a bitch, you set us up." One of them yelled across the desk.

"I did not, I'm outraged by this. I had no idea. You're the ones who killed that worthless excuse of a man Awan?" He asked accusingly.

"That would be correct." Callen said with a smirk as he pulled him to his feet and put flex-cuffs on him. Sam and the other did the same with his three guests.

The four suspects were turned over to Atherton PD and they were done. Callen called Ops to let Hetty know that Kahn was in custody. She told them that their flight wasn't until early Wednesday morning. It didn't sit well with any of them, but knew it was the best Nell could do. She had check flights out of San Francisco and Oakland, but could find nothing any sooner. Once they were back at the hotel, resting, Callen called Amy.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" he asked when she answered.

"Give me the bad." She answered bracing herself for the absolutely worst.

"I'll be home Wednesday morning." He said with lightness to him.

"That's supposed to be the bad news?" Amy laughed.

"Yeah, that's as bad as it gets right now. We got him without incident and everyone's safe." He said smiling.

"I won't tell Kristy you're coming home." Amy promised.

"Thank you. I want to surprise her." He said. "Since we've got a free day, I'm going to stop by your parent's house tomorrow. Say hi, see how your Mom's doing." He told her.

"I doubt she'll tell you anything, but it's worth a try." She said.

"So I've been thinking about what we talked about earlier." He smiled.

"What we were talking about earlier? You mean having a baby?" she asked.

"Yes, having a baby. When was your last period?" he asked.

"The week before the wedding, we won't know if I'm pregnant for another week or so." She smiled at his excitement.

"I hope you are, I know you worked so hard to lose all that weight, but I can't wait to see you glowing with a little baby bump." He laughed.

"Neither can I." she admitted.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She told him.

"I'm going to get going. I'll call you tomorrow after I talk with your parent's." he said.

"Alright honey, I miss you." She said and hung up.

Callen looked at the phone and smiled. He'd forgotten Sam was in the room while he was on the phone. Sam had an ear to ear grin on his face. Callen tried to ignore him.

"Did I hear you right? You and Amy are trying to get pregnant?" Sam asked.

Callen smiled. "Yeah we are, we're hoping she's already pregnant but won't know for another couple weeks."

"Good luck. I hope you guys don't have a hard time getting pregnant." Sam said.

The next morning, Callen left after breakfast and headed down two eighty towards Sunnyvale. He took the exit Amy said to; Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road and drove into town. He passed several shopping centers and Fremont High School. It was a nice looking school and he wondered if Amy had gone to school there. He'd have to ask her parents. Callen went straight past the Safeway onto Sunnyvale Avenue and crossed over El Camino Real. Within two minutes, he was pulling up in front of Amy's childhood home.

It was a small house with blue trim around the windows. There was a large hibiscus between the two front windows and flowerbeds around the patch of grass. He touched the lamp post in the corner of the yard before he went up to the door and rang the doorbell. Callen stood at the door waiting for a few minutes. Amy's Mom answered the door.

"Callen, what are you doing here?" Where are Amy and the kids?" she asked surprised to see him.

"I was up here on a case and had a day before we head back down south, so I figured I'd come by and say hi." He smiled.

"Well, come on in." Carole smiled opening the screen for him and ushered the two big dogs to the family room. "Both of you go, leave your uncle alone."

"Amy didn't say anything about you guys having dogs." He said as the black one gave him a sniff.

"They're her sister's dogs. So are you going to make it home in time for Kristy's birthday?" she said locking the gate between the kitchen and family room.

"Yes, we'll probably get to the house around ten or eleven. Amy already knows and promised not to say anything to Kristy." He smiled.

"Joe, Callen's here." She called to the back yard.

"Be right there." Joe called back.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Carole asked huffing and puffing.

"No, please just have a seat and relax." He told her.

"Thank you." She smiled taking a seat. "This treatment is really taking a lot out of me this time."

"Is this for the Colon, Lung or Breast cancer?" Callen asked.

"This is the maintenance treatment for the Colon cancer. I've had all of the treatments I can for the lung cancer and they aren't worried about the breast cancer until the tumor gets bigger. Right now, I'm sitting at stage four. They said originally when I was diagnosed with the Colon cancer that I'd get five years. Well, six years and four more diagnoses later, I honestly don't think I have much more time left." She told him in a somber tone.

"Does Amy know?" Callen asked.

"She does. I know she thinks there's been another diagnosis, but there hasn't. I'm just trying to figure out how much longer I want to subject myself to the Chemo and Radiation. I can't live forever and my quality of life is steadily declining. I wanted to live long enough to see Amy get married to the right man and now I have. It would be wonderful if you two would give me another grandchild before I die." She smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Amy and I have been talking about having a baby." He told her with a smile.

"Well, I hope you don't have any problems conceiving." Carole smiled.

Joe came walking in from the back yard. "Hey Callen, how are you?"

Callen stood and shook his father-in-law's hand. "Not bad Joe, my team and I were up here the last week working on a case. Thought I'd take the opportunity to swing by and say hi."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Joe smiled and sat at the table with them.

Callen stayed for a few hours talking with Amy's parents. He found out that the JCPenney Amy worked at was one that was there in Sunnyvale for a short period of time and that she in fact went to Fremont High School. He said his goodbye to her parent's and the dogs just as Amy's sister and her family got home. He apologized that he could stay longer and fought the traffic back up to Atherton. It didn't please him to learn that Amy's mother was on the verge of stopping her cancer treatment. He feared that she would stop if and when they had a baby. As much as he wanted Amy pregnant now, he hoped she wasn't in an attempt to keep her Mom around a while longer.

He arrived at the hotel in enough time to join Sam, Kensi and Deeks for dinner. When he and Sam returned to their room for the night, he told Sam what Amy's Mom said. Sam hoped that Carole would reconsider stopping treatment, but understood how painful the treatments could be. They went to bed with the hope that their travel plans happened without problems and Kristy would be very surprised when they arrived at the house for her party.


	26. Chapter 26

Amy stood at the sink rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. He could see her IPod sticking out of her back pocket and the ear buds in her ears. Callen stood there for a few minutes waiting for her to notice him, but she was watching out the kitchen window as the kids played in the back yard. The dog finally noticed he was home and walked over, whining for some attention. She was wearing a pair of shorts that hung low on her hips and a tank top that had fit nicely a month ago now hung off one shoulder. Amy still didn't notice he was standing there even after he sat the vase of roses on the island and picked up the dog. She put the soap in the machine, started it and turned around to the dog in her face.

Callen laughed as she shrieked and jumped three feet in the air. "You scared the shit out of me, Callen. That's not funny." She said smacking his arm.

He put the dog down and pulled her into his arms. "I know, I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you while you were doing the dishes for fear you might drop a plate or cut yourself with a knife."

"Well, I appreciate that. Damn you are a sight for sore eyes." She smiled kissing him long and hard.

"Why can't I get a welcome home kiss like this every day?" he laughed kissing her again. "You know they'll be alright out there alone for a little bit, why don't you and I go upstairs and try to make a baby."

"I would love to." She grinned and let him lead her to the stairs by the hand.

The kids came running in the kitchen door.

"We heard you scream, are you okay?" Kristy screamed with joy when she saw Callen and lunged at him with her arms open. "You're home, you made it!"

"I couldn't miss your birthday, Kristy." He said kissing his step-daughter's forehead.

"Thank you. We're complete again." She said jumping up and down. "Ricky, Jenny Daddy I mean Callen's home."

Callen heard her slip and melted. "Kristy Honey, you don't have to call me Callen all the time if you don't want to."

Kristy looked from her Mom to Callen. "I would love to just call you Dad. You're more of a Dad to us than our father ever was."

Amy smiled with her eyes full of tears and brushed Kristy's hair from her face. "Baby, you call Callen whatever you want, you've got that right. I just ask that if we ever see your father again, you never let him hear you call Callen by Dad or Daddy or whatever else you choose to call him."

"Thank you Mom, I didn't want to make you upset if you ever heard me call him Dad. I've wanted to call him that for a long time now." Kristy said.

"I would be honored if you called me Dad." Callen told Kristy as he gently held her face.

Ricky and Jenny came running in the kitchen whooping and hollering. He held the two so tight and loved every hug and kiss they gave him. They stood there for little while talking about what the last week and a half had been like for them. Callen was truly moved when they told him how much he was missed. Amy stood next to him and leaned over to kiss him when the doorbell rang.

The kids ran to answer the door. Callen and Amy stood in the hallway. "That was the best thing I think I've ever heard next to you telling me you'd marry me." He smiled.

Callen and Amy heard Kensi and Deeks greeting the kids and right behind them was Nell and Eric. The kids invited them in and Kristy beamed as they presented her with their gifts. Callen told her to put them on the table so she could open them later. Amy passed out beer or offered to make margaritas. Deeks, Eric and Callen opted for the beer while the girls wanted margaritas. Amy offered lemon-lime or strawberry, the girls wanted a little of both. Callen led the guys out back while Amy broke out the blender and mixed up some drinks. The three ladies joined the guys ten minutes later laughing and carrying on about something.

Sam, Michelle and their kids arrived a short while later and Amy was back in the kitchen making another pitcher of margaritas. No one was leaving tonight unless they absolutely had to, so Amy felt the alcohol should flow freely. There was no way Amy would let anyone get too drunk in case something happened.

Hetty showed up about an hour later and immediately demanded a drink since she saw everyone with one in their hand. Amy gladly followed her back into the house and poured her a lowball from a bottle Callen didn't even know about. Hetty eyed her when she pulled the bottle from the cabinet and dusted it off. Amy stood back as she handed her the glass, waiting for her to take a drink.

Hetty smelled the clear alcohol and smiled. "Where on earth did you find this?"

"Kristy's god-father brought it back from Iraq ten years ago. I've only had a few drinks from it." She smiled as they walked out through the patio and into the back yard.

Callen saw the drink in Hetty's hand, unless Amy had bought more alcohol while he was gone, he didn't know where this had come from. "So what Hetty, you bringing you own bottle to parties now?"

"No, actually, this came from your wife's private stash." She smiled.

"It's on the counter." Amy told him and watched him walked back into the house.

He returned with a huge smile on his face and the bottle in his hand. "Where have you been hiding this?"

Sam saw the bottle and walked over, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, Mr. Hanna it is Arak." Hetty smiled.

"Amy where did you get this?" Callen asked.

"Kristy's god-father brought it back from overseas on one of his deployments when she was a baby." She smiled.

"I know Hetty hasn't had this much yet." He said holding the bottle up two-thirds of the bottle remained.

"I've had a little here and there over the years. Over the last twelve years." She said.

"You've had this hidden for twelve years?" Sam asked. "G get some glasses."

Callen immediately turned around and walked back into the house asking everyone else if they wanted to try it. He returned with four glasses a quarter full and handed them out. It was stronger than he remembered, but it was smooth. Sam was all smiled. Deeks and Kensi both took a sip and handed their glasses to Callen and Sam. Amy was please, but needed to remember to find a new hiding spot.

An hour later, Kristy's friends arrived. Lauren's parents drove her up from Pendleton and several of her friends from school also attended. They girls all disappeared into one of the sheds that Amy had cleared out. The adults stood around and talked until it was time to get the grill going. While Callen tended to the grill, Amy got the hot dogs and hamburgers from the refrigerator. When she walked back out and set them on the table, he was watching their friends talking amongst themselves and smiled.

"We've got some pretty great friends, don't we?" He asked her pulling her into his arms.

"They're more than just friends, Honey." Amy said kissing him.

"Oh come on you two, didn't you get enough of that on the honeymoon." Sam yelled across the yard.

"We haven't seen each other in a week and a half. Leave us alone." He yelled back smiling.

"You want to practice making a baby a little later?" Amy asked.

Callen gave her an evil smile. "It's been a week and a half, of course."

Hetty overheard the conversation and approached them smiling. "Did I hear you correctly? You're trying to have a baby?"

"Yes we are." Callen smiled proudly.

Hetty raised her glass, "Good luck to you."

That started the conversation about whether they wanted more than one. Honestly, they hadn't talked about more than one; a boy or girl. Amy just knew she wanted to give Callen a child of his own. Ricky desperately wanted a baby brother and Amy wanted someone to have and carry on the Callen last name. They asked about names, but Callen and Amy hadn't thought that far ahead. Then they asked about how the house would accommodate a baby. The plan was to have Kristy move downstairs into the guest room, Ricky would take Kristy's room, Jenny would move into Ricky's and the baby would get Jenny's room. Callen mentioned a possible renovation, but Amy really didn't see how unless they went out the back of the house.

After dinner Kristy begged to open her presents, so they brought them out and sat around the table watching and laughing. Callen gave Kristy a laptop so she'd stop taking Amy's, Sam and Michelle gave her a new digital camera, Kensi and Deeks went halves on a new IPod touch and Nell and Eric went in on some ITunes gift cards. Hetty gave her a hundred dollar gift card that she could use at any store she chose. Her friends gave her clothes and jewelry and other miscellaneous trinkets.

Amy disappeared into the house to get the cake. Callen followed her in to help. Callen took the sheet cake out while Amy grabbed the paper plates, plastic forks and the cake cutter. Kristy was waiting excitedly for her first look at the cake and cried when Callen set it on the table in front of her. She hugged him so tight. It was a simple cake with white icing and orange flowers. They all sang her happy birthday, Callen cut the cake and Amy handed the pieces out. It was a perfect day and Amy was so thankful Callen and the rest of the team made it in time for the party.

Michelle had just finished her cake and set the plate on the table. "Have either of you been into the guest room?"

Amy and Callen looked at each other, "No, why?"

Sam and the kids went in the house and came back out with their wedding gifts, setting them on the table around them. Callen and Amy were shocked.

"We said not to get us gifts, we don't need anything." Amy said.

"Well since we didn't have a bridal shower, we added those to it too." Kensi smiled.

"We had the kids help with some of the gifts. They said there were some things you've wanted for a while, but never got." Sam said.

Callen and Amy were shocked by the number of gifts.

"Come on, open them." Kristy said.

"But Honey, this is your day. We can open these another time." Amy told her.

"OPEN THEM NOW!" Kristy demanded.

As the sun set, Michelle got up and plugged in the light she, Amy and the kids put up over the weekend. The back yard was full of soft white light. Callen loved it as he looked around the yard. There were lights strung along the fence, in the trees and along the house. They'd even gotten rope lights that outlined the walk way through the yard.

"When did you do this?" he smiled.

"We did it over the weekend." Amy told him. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I like it. It reminds me of Christmas and our original plan for a December wedding." He smiled. "Let's start opening these presents.

They started with some of the smaller gifts. Which really shouldn't have been opened in front of the children, Callen was very eager for Amy to try on the sexy teddies. Quickly putting the lids back on the boxes, they moved onto the other gifts. Callen pulled a huge box over and started taking off the wrapping paper at the top. When he saw what was inside, he looked up and smiled. Amy stood and looked at the Kitchen Aid stand mixer that she'd always wanted and red to boot. The next gift was a deep fryer. Amy saw the trend and excitedly opened the next gift. From her parent's she gotten her own set of forms for cannolis.

After opening all of the gifts, they had a new set of red dishes, new pots and pans, a new Krueg coffee maker that could accommodate Callen's travel mug, a set of fine China, crystal glass ware and a new set of formal flatware. They were overwhelmed and looked at the gifts and their friends in awe. There were no words that could adequately convey their gratitude for the gifts. Callen and Amy tried to thank everyone the best they could and cleared the presents into the kitchen.

By ten o'clock, Hetty had left to go home and the kids were upstairs in Kristy or Ricky's rooms. The adults sat outside talking and drinking from the many bottles of liquor sitting on the table. In the midst of it all, they were trying to figure out where everyone was sleeping. It was agreed that Sam and Michelle would take the guest room, they kids would take over the downstairs, Kensi and Nell would take Kristy's room, while Deeks and Eric would either sleep in Ricky's or one in Ricky's room and the other in Jenny's. Since Ricky had an Xbox in his room, Deeks and Eric were going to play a few games before going to sleep.

Amy ran back into the house and brought out the box of gifts from Hawaii and started passing out the shirt, dresses and other goodies for their friends. The girls love their dresses and surprisingly, the guys like their shirts. Sam admitted that he might actually wear his. Callen told him that it wasn't too over the top on the phone, but he really expected the most over the top shirt with flamingos or Ukuleles all over it. Sam was so pleased that he actually put it on and modeled it. The group laughed for ten minutes over him strutting like he was walking the catwalk.

By eleven, Callen and Amy ushered the kids downstairs and the inebriated bunch of adults up to the rooms. Deeks and Eric's plan for playing video games went out the window. Both were passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Callen and Sam wanted to put the two in bed together, but the girls wouldn't have it. As funny as it would have been to wake up and find them cuddled on the bed, Amy and Michelle made sure one was on the floor and the other was on the bed.

Once the house was quiet, Callen and Amy retreated to their room. Callen begged for her to try on one of the teddies, but she refused because of all the people in the house. He would have to wait until they were alone or as close to alone as they could with the three kids in the house. They wrapped themselves around one another and fell asleep.

At eight, they woke to the sounds of laughter and knew the kids were awake. Callen and Amy headed down stairs to make a pot of coffee and start breakfast. Michelle had beaten them to the coffee and heard them coming down the stairs. She was in the process of making them each a cup of coffee when they appeared in the kitchen. They cleared the wedding gifts to the garage and started making breakfast. It was daunting, Amy made a huge batch of pancakes and by huge, it was mixed in her largest mixing bowl and it was almost overflowing with the batter. Callen got out the six pounds of bacon and took it outside to cook it on the grill. Once Amy was half-way through the pancakes, Michelle got out the eggs and started scrambling the three dozen eggs. Sam would bring in platefuls of bacon which Michelle put on the turkey platter Amy had gotten out for her. Three-quarters of the way through the pancakes, Michelle ladled the eggs into Amy's biggest frying pan and started cooking.

An hour and a half later, breakfast was served. Amy had never made so much food at breakfast in her life. Not even when her entire family; Mom, Dad, Brother and his three, Sister and her four and Amy, Rick and their three were together. The kids ate their fill and then the adults sat down to eat. Everything was cold, so they took turns microwaving their plates. Amy had to get a second bottle of syrup from the pantry. After everyone had eaten and absolutely none of the food was left, she rested before attempting to clean up. She was thankful that there were no leftovers, because there was very little room in the refrigerator for them. Granted, they had used almost an entire gallon of milk, three dozen eggs and the six pounds of bacon. There were containers of pre-made food stacked everywhere.

By eleven, Amy had the kitchen cleaned and had pulled the ribs out of the refrigerator to flip them over and add just a few more seasonings before making the sauce. At eleven thirty, she had Callen start the grill so they could start cooking the ribs. There wasn't an inch of the grill that was available after she put the five huge racks of ribs on it. She poured the marinade into a pot and started adding to it. Molasses, brown sugar, some whiskey, onion, garlic and a few more spices were added to it before it was ready to be brushed on the ribs. By three, Sam and Callen pulled out one of the extra folding tables so Amy and Michelle could start setting out the food.

On Monday, Amy had started making the pasta, macaroni and potato salads. Amy, Michelle, Kensi and Nell shucked the corn, slathered it in butter, sprinkled it with spices, wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven. Once the dishwasher was done, Amy started cutting the fruit for the fruit salad. Hetty returned and offered to help, but Amy couldn't think of anything else that needed to be done. As they carried the food out to the table on the patio, she stood back looking at it all trying to remember if they'd forgotten anything. Callen had brushed the sauce over the ribs one last time and walked in to stand next to her.

"Good Lord, I think we've got enough food." He laughed pulling her to him.

"Something's missing." She said.

"The ribs are about ready to come off." He told her. "I can cut them for you. Do you want them on the turkey platter?"

"Yes, please. Thank you for all your help today." She smiled up at him and then kissed him.

"Not a problem, I wish I could've done more to help you." He said walking into the kitchen to get the roasting pan so he could bring the ribs in.

Once the ribs were cut and on the table, everyone lined up to eat. Two hours into the dinner, they heard screaming and yelling from the front yard. Callen and Sam went to look. Amy and Michelle knew exactly who it was. Michelle followed Amy into the kitchen and the cupboard where the gun safe was kept. Amy pulled her pistol, put it and its holster at her back and covered it with her shirt the best she could.

"Come on you chicken-shit bitch, get your ass out here." The woman screamed from the front yard.

"Who the hell is that?" Sam asked.

"That's Maggie. Toya was calling to warn me that she was coming out for the holiday. Apparently Maggie's pissed off because she's not getting child support from Rick anymore." Amy said.

"Come on you whore. What, you don't want your new husband to see how firggin' spineless you are? Or better yet how much of a whore you really are, Rick was right about you, I'll bet none of those three kids are his. Or I'll put money on the fact that you've screwed every guy you've got in there." Maggie yelled.

Where the hell was she? She was calling her out and she was too chicken to come out. Maggie laughed to herself. Amy could talk the talk, but couldn't walk the walk. She quickly tried to think of something else to say.

"Amy you're not going out there." Callen told her.

"Are you?" She asked.

"If I have too, I will." He said.

"Callen, she's not going to stop until she sees me and talks to me." Amy said as they heard glass shatter. Maggie had picked up a rock and threw it through Sam's windshield.

"Oh Hell No!" Sam yelled and headed out the door. "Woman, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you're going to pay for that windshield."

"Make me you stupid gorilla." She yelled. "Amy get your ass out here!"

Amy walked past Callen and out the door. "What do you want Maggie?"

"Oh, you send you bodyguard out before you'll set foot outside, you really are a chicken-shit bitch aren't you?" Maggie spat.

"Actually, I'm out here to protect you. You just chucked a rock at his baby." She laughed.

Maggie walked towards her fists balled. Amy stood her ground. "Bitch, you've really got it coming, standing there like you don't know why I'm here."

"I know exactly why you're here and it's not my problem that you're not getting child support from Rick. You started it and I finished it." She said.

"You smug bitch, where's your new husband? I'm sure he'd like to know exactly what kind of woman he married." Maggie yelled trying to egg her on.

"Enlighten me, exactly what kind of woman did he marry?" Amy asked.

"You're a whore, a con artist and a schemer, you and Rick did nothing but defraud the government. Does he know that you sat back and watched Rick cheat on you, allowed Rick to cheat on you?" Maggie asked taking another step closer to Amy.

Callen was at the window listening to the whole conversation; Maggie was saying absolutely nothing he didn't know. Kensi and Michelle appeared in the doorway.

"What do you bitches want, this is a private conversation." Maggie yelled at them.

"Doesn't sound too private to me since you're out here screaming it for the entire neighborhood to hear." Michelle laughed.

"What the hell are you looking at skank bitch with a bad weave." She screamed.

"You're the one out here with pink hair. Check yourself before you start talking about other people's appearances." Michelle told her.

"Yeah, go hide under a rock. You stupid whore." She said.

"You really need to stop name calling." Sam said.

"Shut up stupid gorilla." She said to him.

Amy could tell that Sam was getting angry. Kensi and Michelle stepped out of the house and stood five or six feet behind Amy.

"Oh so you're so special now that you have an entourage? You're so pathetic, can't fight your own fight, gotta have others do it for you." She laughed.

Callen and Deeks walked out to stand behind Sam.

"So which one of the three musketeers is your new husband?" she asked.

No one said anything. Toya appeared behind Maggie and whispered something in her ear. Maggie spun around and got in Toya's face. "You pathetic piece of shit. I don't give a shit what I'm ruining. This bitch is responsible for ruining my daughter's birthday, Christmas, Easter and every other frigging holiday. She dropped you like a hot rock; you should be here with me cussing her ass out."

Toya looked at Amy, giving her an apologetic look. "Maggie, as angry as I may be at Amy, now is not the time for this. Let's go."

"Screw you, Toya." Maggie said pushing Toya on her back.

Remembering Toya's back, Amy stopped herself from running. Toya struggled to get off the ground.

"I think that's enough Maggie. You need to get off my property now, before I call the police. There are plenty of witnesses here that will corroborate the fact that you just assaulted Toya. You know she's got a bad back, right?" Amy said patiently, but almost at the end of her rope.

"Fuck you Amy." Maggie said and went running for her.

Amy stood there unafraid of the woman. Maggie stopped within inches of her face and laughed.

"You don't scare me, Maggie. You never have." Amy smiled.

"I will rip you head off right here, right now." Maggie threatened.

"Touch me and I'll make sure that's the last thing you do." Amy said seeing Callen walk over out of the corner of her eye.

"Let me guess, you're her newest victim?" she asked him.

"Not victim, I'm her husband. I already know everything that happened between Amy and Rick. Not to mention your part in all of it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing you could ever tell me that would change my mind about her. I highly suggest you get back in the car and leave. If you ever decide to set foot in this part of California again, I'll have you arrested." He told her.

"You can't do that." She said and spit in his face.

"You just made a very serious mistake." Sam said walking over to them. "You just assaulted a federal officer. Hey Deeks, why don't you call your friends with the Culver City PD and have them pay us a visit."

"My pleasure." He said pulling his phone from his pocket.

Hetty came walking out of the house. "What in the Hell is going on here?"

"Piss off you old bag, go back to you knitting." Maggie laughed.

Hetty tried not to laugh. "My dear, I don't know who you are, but I highly suggest you leave before I hurt you."

"With what, your geriatric Jujitsu?" Maggie laughed at her again.

The team looked at each other, waiting for the mini-ninja to strike

Hetty pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and handed it to Callen so he could wipe off his face. "Did you spit on him?"

"I did," she said proudly, "what are you going to do about it?"

They could hear the sirens in the distance. Hetty looked at Kensi who started to walk towards them, her hand on her weapon.

"Bitch, don't put a hand on me or I'll sue you for assault." Maggie screamed.

Amy's hand was on her pistol as Kensi got closer. Callen nodded to her. Maggie swung at Kensi, missing her, and then lunged at Amy hitting her square in the jaw. Amy's head snapped back sending her flying backwards. Callen caught her. Amy stood upright ready to swing, but Callen stopped her.

Maggie had a look of horror on her face as she looked up the barrels of four pistols. Toya just stood there stunned. Maggie ran at Kensi, knocking her over as she tried to get to Amy again. Amy pulled her pistol and held it inches from Maggie's head.

"I will not hesitate to shoot you, Maggie." Amy told her. "You've already assaulted two federal officers. I'd stop while you're ahead."

Two police cars pulled up in front of the house and cautiously walked towards them. "Someone want to tell us what's going on here?"

"This woman has assaulted two of my agents and one of my agent's wives." Hetty told him.

The officer walked up to Maggie, "Ma'am, you're under arrest."

"This is bullshit. This won't stand up in court, you're all full of shit." She screamed as the officer tried to put cuffs on her.

"Stop struggling or I'll put you on the ground." The officer ordered.

Maggie wouldn't stop kicking at Amy, so the officer threw her to the ground and put his knee in the middle of her back. Once she was cuffed and had stopped struggling, they rolled her over and sat her up so they could question the others about what happened. Callen explained that she showed up on the property screaming, yelling and cussing for Amy to come out. Sam added that Maggie had thrown a rock through his windshield, thus adding a charge of damage to government property since the Challenger was leased to him for work purposes. Hetty handled everything else with the officers.

Amy walked to Toya. "Thank you for warning me about Maggie coming. Are you okay, you didn't hurt yourself when you fell did you?"

"I'm fine, thank you though. What about the baby, she brought Emily with her. I don't want her." She said.

Callen walked up to the two of them. "Social Service will be called and they'll take her until someone from Maggie's family can come get her."

"Well, they need to come get this child out of my van now." She said.

"Amy, are you okay?" Callen asked her seeing that her jaw was already swelling and bruising.

"I'll be okay, Honey." She said trying to smile, but winced in pain.

"Since when do you pack some heat?" Toya laughed.

"Since someone tried to kill me last year, Rick kidnapped the kids and I was kidnapped." She said matter-of-factly.

"Are you serious about someone trying to kill you and getting kidnapped?" Toya asked floored.

"No, that's how Amy and I met." Callen smiled.

"Congratulations, by the way." Toya smiled.

"Toya, this is my husband G Callen. Honey, this is LeToya Hartnell." She said.

"Nice to meet you." Callen said shaking her hand. "I'm going to talk to the officer about Emily."

"Look Amy, I want to apologize." Toya started.

"Stop. It's over and done, but we can never be friends like we were before." Amy said.

"I understand. I miss you." She said.

"I miss you too, but it doesn't change anything." Amy told her.

"Please wish Kristy a happy birthday for us. I'm sorry about Maggie." Toya said.

Amy turned around. "Michelle, could you go get Kristy for me?"

Michelle went in the house and came back out with Kristy in toe.

"God, she's so grown up." Toya said with tears in her eyes.

"Kristy, someone would like to wish you a happy birthday." Amy said as she walked towards them.

"Hi Toya" she said awkwardly.

"Happy Birthday, Kristy." She said not attempting to touch her.

"Thank you." She smiled.

Callen and one of the officers walked over to Toya. "Ma'am, we'll go ahead and take the child from you."

"Thank you." She said opening the sliding door on the van, taking Emily out of her car seat and then taking the car seat out of the van. She handed the car seat to Callen who followed the officer back to his car. "I'm going to head home. I'm sorry for the interruption."

Callen called Amy over to him, Amy asked Toya to hold on for a moment as she walked away. "Do you want to invite her to stay for dinner? We've got enough food and she did care enough to call and warn you about Maggie."

Amy looked back at Toya and then over at their friends. "I guess, you guys can't talk much about your cases while she's here."

"That's fine. Invite her to stay." He said kissing her.

Amy walked back over to Toya, Kristy and Michelle. "Sorry, Toya if you have no other plans for tonight, Callen and I would like to have you join us for dinner."

Toya was clearly taken aback by the offer. "With everything that's happened, you still want me here?"

"Callen and I figure it's the least we could do, I know it's a long drive home and I'd like to see how much the kids have grown. I have tequila." She said remembering her best friend's love of tequila.

Toya smiled widely. "Got Margarita mix too?"

Michelle chimed in, "We can make up another pitcher right away, I'm sure we can all use another drink after this."

Toya turned to the five faces eagerly staring at them in the van, "Do you guys want to visit with your cousins for a while?"

"Yes!" They all cheered. One by one, they all got out of the van and hugged Kristy, so excited to finally see each other after a year of sneaking behind their mother's backs texting.

"Kristy Honey, can you make sure they eat, please?" Amy asked as Kristy led them into the house.

Kensi walked out of the house with an ice pack and gave it to Amy. "Toya, this is Michelle and Kensi. Over there is Michelle's husband Sam and the surfer-looking guy is Kensi's partner Marty Deeks."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Toya said humbly. "It's good to see you made friends."

"Well, they all work together, Callen and the rest. Michelle and I hang out the most. Come on, I'll show you the house."

"Whose house is this, your husband's?" Toya asked as they stepped into the entry.

"No, it's mine. It was my great-grandmother's house. She left it to me. We've been here over a year now." She smiled. "Callen owns a house a block away."

"I take it you didn't know about the house otherwise you would've left Rick a lot sooner." Toya said.

"Right. I found about the house in April right before I wound up in the hospital." She said walking into the kitchen to make another pitcher of margaritas.

"The hospital? Ok, start back from the last time we talked." Toya said.

Amy went back to November two years ago. Michelle, Kensi and Nell listened. Toya's jaw dropped several times when Amy explained how the team provided them with protection, how she wound up having emergency surgery, was almost murdered in the hospital, moved into the house, filed for divorce, and the rest of the story. By the end, Toya stood there dumb-founded, shaking her head. She knew her former friend was a strong woman, but to have survived all of that. They ladies showed Toya around the house, Toya was in love with Callen's Jag and was so happy that Amy finally got her mustang. She told Amy how happy she was that life finally handed her something other than lemons for once.

Once they were in the screened-in patio, Amy handed her a plate and told her to help herself. She admitted as she piled food on the plate that she missed Amy's cooking. Amy made it a point to tell Michelle that the collard greens recipe she's made at New Year's was Toya's moms. Toya was touched that Amy still made the recipe. They joined the others outside, Callen and Sam had brought another table out of the garage and set it up so everyone had a place to sit. Toya's middle child walked over and gave Amy a huge hug. Over the last year, Amy had texted with the girl several times just to make sure they were okay.

Callen got a call from one of the officers about an hour after they'd taken Maggie away to ask if they'd be pressing charges for Maggie hitting Amy. She had to think long and hard about how she answered that question. Amy knew she was in enough trouble with the two existing assault charges for Callen and Kensi. It was Michelle and Toya who convinced her to push forward with it. Callen relayed to the officer that they would be and also told him that they'd be seeking a restraining order as well.

Callen came over and sat with Amy and listen as his wife and her former best friend caught up. He was happy to see the two laughing and joking the way he thought they would have years ago before the rift. Admittedly, he was curious on whether or not the two remained friends. He looked around the yard at the children playing; Amy had told him once that she referred to Toya's kids as her nieces and nephew. It was good to see Kristy, Ricky and Jenny playing with them again.

By seven, they kids had calmed down. Callen was helping the ladies bring the food in the house and put away any leftovers. Amy asked if everyone was ready for dessert, but they were all still too full, so she waited to put the pies in the over. They went back outside and sat talking. Amy and Callen told Toya about the wedding and their trip to Hawaii. Toya asked how Carole and Joe were; Callen suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with them two days before. He hesitated before telling Amy what her Mom had said about her treatments. Amy finally pulled it out of him, while he could tell it bothered her, she didn't allow it or the events from earlier in the day bring her down.


	27. Chapter 27

Life had settled in to a slow and steady routine. The rest of the summer, Callen only spend one or two nights's away working on cases, which please everyone. As the months passed and Amy hadn't become pregnant, Callen and Amy became discourage. Every month, it was the waiting game and once her period showed up, they'd be depressed for days. It got to the point where they weren't trying to get pregnant; they vowed to let nature take its course. They returned to the mindset that if it happened, it happened and if it didn't, they had the kids.

Before they knew it, August was ending and the kids were getting ready to go back to school. This year, Callen joined them on the shopping trip. They stopped by the mall early on a Saturday morning and didn't leave until four or five that afternoon. In spite of being exhausted, the kids had everything they needed to start the year with. Their last stop was the shoe stores. Remembering that the kids grew through their shoes quicker than they wore out; they opted to buy them at least a half size bigger. Ricky got two pairs of athletic shoes and a pair of dress shoes. Both of the girls each got one set of athletic shoes, a pair of dress shoes and a pair of ballet flats.

Amy had lost more weight and was looking at clothes for herself, but didn't get them. She figured she'd come back after the kids were in school so she could take her time and try things on. They stopped off at the food court for dinner and waited while Callen and Ricky ran the bags to the van. When they returned, they walked through and let the kids order whatever they wanted. Surprisingly, none of the kids wanted McDonalds. Callen and Amy of course got their Mongolian barbeque. Kristy, Ricky and Jenny got Hot Dog on a Stick.

Callen had to pull Ricky away from the stall as he watched one of the cute girls working the lemon press He knew it was a matter of time before he became interested in girls. Callen wasn't ready for the actual talk, but knew it would creep up on them soon enough. Once they were all seated around the three tables pushed together, they ate. It was still early, so no one was rushed. They casually walked back through the mall window shopping before they headed home. The kids helped bring all of their bags into the house and went through them in the living room, separating each other's clothes. Callen and Amy sat back watching and talking about what the next year of school would bring.

Kristy was going into the eighth grade and would be attending high school next year. Ricky was now attending the middle school with Kristy as a sixth grader, leaving Jenny at the school by herself in first grade. Amy planned on volunteering at the school and in Jenny's classroom since Callen saw no need to her to work. She'd decided that she'd start looking for a job in January if she wasn't pregnant by then.

Within two weeks, school started, Callen once again asked if he could be late so he could go with Amy to take Jenny to school. Hetty was gracious enough to let him. They waited out front for the bus as they had the year before. Several of the other parent's in the neighborhood had come over and were talking as they waited for the bus. Like clockwork, the bus turned onto their street right on time. Most of the parent's either yelled for their kids or went chasing after them to say goodbye. Ricky and Kristy walked back over to Amy and Callen to say goodbye.

"You two have a good day." Callen said giving them both a hug. "I'll see you after work tonight; I want to hear all about your days."

Both agreed.

"I can't believe you're in middle school already, Ricky." Amy said trying not to cry as she hugged him. "You're going to have a great year, stop worrying. Bye Kristy, have a good day Honey."

They waved as they crossed the street and boarded the bus. Callen, Amy and Jenny waved when the bus pulled away. Jenny ran back into the house and sat on the couch to patiently wait until it was time to go to school. Callen and Amy sat down at the table with another cup of coffee and talked about how much Jenny had changed over the last year. Callen could tell Amy was getting emotional, but knew she wouldn't cry like she did the year before.

Callen had been watching the time, but was waiting for Jenny to tell him it was time to go. He'd gotten each of the kids a watch with the hopes of Jenny learning to tell time. They'd been working with her the last few weeks of the summer. He was please when she came to the table, tapped her watch, cleared her throat and told them it was time to leave. The three walked to the school hand-in-hand. Callen and Amy would swing her up high between them and back down again.

When they got to the school, Callen let Jenny lead him to the board to look for her name and classroom number. When she found it, she was so excited to have several of her friends in the same class. They let her lead them to the class room and introduce them to her new teacher; Mrs. Carter. She was middle-aged with grayish-brown hair, a pretty woman in her own right. She shook their hands and showed Jenny where to put her back pack. As soon as she had her stuff put away, she ran back to give Callen and Amy a hug and a kiss. Jenny told them that she would be fine and told Amy to be careful so she didn't get kidnapped like last year. Mrs. Carter gave them an odd look before leading Jenny to her desk.

Callen and Amy laughed as they walked home holding hands. Callen asked that she be careful and keep her pistol with her at all times while he was at work. She assured him that she'd had none of the funny feelings and that she'd be fine. Callen gave her a deep, passionate kiss before he got in the car and pulled out of the driveway. Amy waved as he drove away. She looked around the neighborhood and walked back into the house. Amy looked at her watch; she had an hour before her appointment and was nervous.

Callen arrived only forty-five minutes late, the team sat at their desks working on paperwork. They all asked how the morning went and Callen very happily reported that there were little if no tears shed on Amy's part. He got himself a cup of coffee before sitting at his desk to work on some reports. An hour and a half into the day, he decided to call Amy to see how bored she was without the kids around, but she didn't answer the phone. He tried her cell, but she didn't answer that either. Fearing the worst, he ran up to Ops leaving the team behind to wonder what was wrong.

Nell and Eric were talking between themselves when he walked in. "Eric, I need you to find out where Amy is she isn't answering the house phone or her cell phone."

Nell and Eric, worried themselves, saw the fear in Callen's eyes and immediately obliged his request. After a few taps on the key board, Eric told him. "She's at Culver City medical center; it looks like she's in the OB's office. Let me check the doctor's schedule."

"Did she mention having a doctor's appointment this morning?" Nell asked Callen who stood there perplexed.

"No she didn't." he said thinking.

"Amy has an appointment at ten o'clock this morning with a Dr. Fagan. The notes say she's worried about being able to get pregnant." Eric said nervously turning to Callen.

"Why wouldn't she tell me about the appointment?" he said to no one in particular.

"I don't know, at least we know she's safe." Nell offered.

"Alright, thank you." He said walking out of Ops.

Callen walked down the stairs slowly, thinking about Amy's doctor's appointment, wondering why she hadn't said anything. Granted, they were worried that she hadn't gotten pregnant yet, but he wondered if it warranted a trip to the doctors. He could feel their eyes on him as he sat down at his desk.

"Everything alright?" Deeks asked.

"Yeah, Amy wasn't answering either the house phone or her cell phone. She's at a doctor's appointment." Callen said still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she hadn't mentioned anything about it.

"She didn't tell you about the appointment?" Sam asked.

Callen didn't speak, merely shook his head.

"Good Morning Mrs. Callen." Dr. Fagan said as she walked into the room.

Amy was deep in thought and barely heard the doctor greet her. "I'm sorry. Good morning."

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yes, just worried." Amy admitted.

"Well, we've gotten all of your test results back and I can find no reason why you can't get pregnant. Your hormone levels area all normal, everything checks out. How long have you and your husband been trying to conceive?" The doctor asked as she sat behind her desk.

"We've been having sex for a year before we got married and we've been married for almost three months now. We honestly just started avidly trying to get pregnant after the wedding." Amy told her.

"Does your husband have any children?" Dr, Fagen asked as she wrote notes in Amy's chart.

"No none that we know about." Amy said.

The doctor smiled. "Is this his first marriage?"

"Yes it is. Do you think he might be the reason why we aren't pregnant yet?" She asked worried.

"Possibly, what line of work is he in?" she asked.

"He works for the government." Amy said.

"Do you know his medical history or whether he's been exposed to any chemicals?" she asked.

"I don't know the specifics of his medical history, but I do know he suffered Cyanide poisoning a year or so ago." She said.

"Cyanide poisoning?" She asked in disbelief. "You're husband's a lucky man to have survived that, Mrs. Callen."

Amy smiled. "Yes, yes we are."

"Do you think your husband would be willing to submit to a sperm count?" Dr. Fagan asked.

Amy thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know, I can ask. If it isn't G, why do you think we haven't been able to conceive?"

"Mrs. Callen, it might come down to it just not being the right time. You're a very healthy woman and I assume your husband is as well. Slow down, relax, and enjoy each other instead of trying so hard to get pregnant. I've found in most cases that most couples get pregnant when they aren't trying, when they're just having sex for the sake of having sex. How about this, if you haven't gotten pregnant by January, have your husband come back with you and we'll have his sperm count done." She said as she wrote her notes in Amy's chart.

Amy smiled faintly. "Not really what I wanted to hear, but it's better than nothing."

"If you don't mind me asking, how often do you have sex?" she asked removing her glasses.

"On average, three or four times a week." She said before she stood.

"Are you serious? Three or four times a week? Damn, most of us are lucky to get it once a week at best. Try cutting it back to twice a week. Or use some form of contraception if you're going to have sex more than twice. Sometimes, the more frequently you have sex, the less likely you are to get pregnant." She smiled.

"So we've been having too much sex?" Amy laughed.

"Sounds like it to me, cut back and I bet you'll be pregnant by Christmas." She smiled as she stood and shook Amy's hand.

"Thank you." Amy said before she left her office. Amy was relieved, but still worried. If it was as simple as cutting back, it would be great. Amy pulled her cell phone from her purse and noticed she had a missed call from Callen. Amy dialed his number and he answered on the second ring.

"Hey Amy are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You had Eric track me didn't you?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah I did. I got worried when you didn't answer either number." He said sitting back in his chair.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to see if there was something wrong with me when it comes to not being able to get pregnant." She laughed.

"And what did the doctor say?" he asked anxiously.

She laughed again. "Apparently we're having too much sex."

"Too much sex?" he blurted out forgetting he wasn't alone. The other three and everyone in the vicinity gave him an odd look or awkward smile.

"Yes, that's what she said. She suggested cutting back to twice a week and if we exceed that to use a condom or something." She said in a low voice so she didn't draw attention to herself as she walked through the clinic.

"Cut back?" he asked turning his back to the team, lowering his voice. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. She also said stop trying so hard to make a baby and just have sex for the fun of it." She said.

"I thought we were doing both, trying to get you pregnant and having fun." He laughed.

Kensi, Deeks and Sam had stopped working on whatever it was they were working on and listened to their side of the conversation. All three tried not to laugh as the conversation progressed.

"You do know that Kensi, Deeks and Sam are listening to you, right. Nothing like broadcasting our sex life to your co-workers." She laughed.

Callen turned around to find that all three were in fact listening to him. He shook his head and turned a bright shade of red. "We'll talk more about this when I get home tonight."

"They are, aren't they?" she laughed.

"I'm glad you find this so funny, I still have to work with them after this phone call." He laughed.

"Oh, poor baby." She laughed. "You can handle it."

"Bye Amy." He said.

"Bye Babe, I love you." She said laughing.

"Love you too." He said and hung up turning around to face the music.

They erupted into laughter. "Too much sex?" Sam laughed.

"Alright, yes, the doctor thinks Amy's not pregnant yet because we've been having sex too often." He said awkwardly, stumbling over his words.

"We should all be so lucky, G." Sam said between gasps for air.

"Are you guys done yet?" Callen said not at all amused by the jokes and laughter at his expense.

"I'm sorry. I just never thought we'd know that much about your sex life." Kensi chuckled.

"Oh, I wish we had a camera and could've gotten a picture of the look on your face when Amy told you that you were having too much sex. It was priceless." Deeks laughed.

"Alright, laugh it up." Callen said as he pushed away from his desk and walked out of the bull pen. He looked towards Hetty's office and saw the smile on her face. As he walked the halls, everyone smiled or chuckled as he passed.

"Who's going to go after him?" Kensi asked looking at Sam.

"I will." Sam said following him to the roof. "G, we're not laughing at you. If you think about it, it's kind of funny."

Callen smiled, "It is, isn't it. I can't get my wife pregnant because we're having sex too much."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, as soon as you've been married as long as Michelle and I, you'll be lucky if it's once every one or two weeks." Sam said.

"I don't ever see that happening. Amy's just so insatiable and so damn." He stopped himself. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Sam said. "Ready to head back down to go to work?"

"Yeah, I hope everyone got their giggles out." He said walking towards the door.

Amy walked over to the school at two thirty to get Jenny. She was ecstatic when Amy hadn't been kidnapped. Mrs. Carter pulled her to the side before she left to ask what Jenny was going on about. She was speechless after Amy finished telling her the story. Amy reassured her that nothing like that would happen this school year. Mrs. Carter just gave her a crooked smile and nodded her head. Jenny told Amy all about her day on the way home. Ricky and Kristy were sitting on the porch when they got home.

They sat down and had a snack before they started what little homework they had on the first day of school. It was more homework for Amy than for the kids. She had three huge packets of paperwork to fill out so the kids could turn it in for extra credit or points the following morning. The kids went out to play while Amy sat at the table filling out form after form.

She looked at her watch and noticed it was four forty-five and stopped for a minute to turn on the oven. Amy pulled the lasagna she'd made when she got home from the doctors and put it in the oven and went back to her paperwork. Callen pulled into the driveway thirty minutes later and she smiled remembering their conversation earlier in the day.

He walked in and smiled at the wild smile on her face. Dropped his bag by the door and walked to the table giving her a kiss. "Hello my wife who's not pregnant because we have too much sex."

Amy laughed, "I take it you got it pretty bad from the others?"

Callen pulled out the chair next to her and started looking at the paperwork. "Oh not just from Kensi, Deeks and Sam, but everyone else that happened to be in earshot. I got goofy grins from everyone; including Hetty; the rest of the day."

"I'm sorry. They're just jealous because they don't have as healthy a sex life." She smiled kissing him.

"What's all this?" he asked looking at the packets.

"The same crap I fill out at the beginning of every school year. Registration packets, emergency information, press release, insurance information, the school handbook, and any other stupid form they can think of to waste paper with." She said.

"Want some help?" he asked.

Amy handed him a packet. "Knock yourself out. I haven't done Ricky's yet."

Callen grabbed a pen and started filling out the packet the best he could. Occasionally he'd have to ask Amy for a bit of information, but for the most part, he knew everything. "Are we using Sam and Michelle as emergency contact again?"

"Yes we are." She said smiling at him. "Thank you for helping with this."

"You're welcome. I would feel bad just sitting here watching you do it all." He said kissing her. "Dinner smells good, lasagna?"

"Yep." She smiled.

Twenty minutes later, the kids came in to get something to drink and noticed Callen at the table. All three gave him a hug and tried to tell him about their days. He stopped them and asked them to save it for dinner. They agreed and remembered that they'd done the same thing last year; everyone had a chance to tell everyone else about their day during dinner.

Callen and Amy cleared the table and the kids set it while Amy pulled the lasagna out of the over and cut it. Callen took it over to the table and set it on two pot holders. Amy got drinks for everyone before they all sat down to dinner. The kids had good days at school. Ricky liked his teacher, Kristy was able to find all of her classes on time and Jenny announced that she'd drawn a picture of the family. Callen couldn't wait to see it. She got down from the table and ran over to her backpack, then ran back to the table with the picture holding it up for everyone to see. Above everyone's picture was their name. It was a picture of Amy, Jenny, Kristy, Ricky and Callen, beside Amy was the cat and beside Callen was the dog.

"Jenny, can I have that picture so I can take it to work?" Callen asked.

Jenny's face lit up and handed it to Callen. "I would love it if you'd take it to work with you. That way you can look at it every time you miss us."

Amy beamed as she watched Callen look at the picture. He smiled when he noticed over his picture it said Daddy instead of Callen.

Callen and Amy had cut back like the doctor suggested. By mid-October, they were disappointed once again when she got her period. They figured they'd keep going as they doctor suggested and see what happen the following month. Month by month, they agreed.

Before Callen and Amy knew it, Halloween was around the corner and the kids were begging to get their costumes. Finally, they took the kids out the weekend before Halloween. Kristy picked out an Abbey Abominable costume from Monster High; Jenny chose Draculara and Ricky picked a Jedi costume. Sam and Michelle were coming up Friday night to join them trick-or-treating. Amy ordered pizza early so it was delivered by five when the guys were due to come home. They ate quickly and got the kids changed so they could leave by six thirty. They had fun walking the streets with the kids. Amy carried three pillow cases to dump their smaller bags into. By the time they were done, they were so heavy Callen and Sam had to carry them back to the house.

One by one, they dumped the bags on the table to sort out the candy. All of the open candy was thrown out. Callen and Amy had their own piles of candy started. By the time they went through all of the candy, they had a grocery bag full of candy for themselves. They helped Sam and Michelle go through their kid's bags. Sam and Michelle had their own pile going too. Once all of the candy had been turned over to the kids, the adults retreated to the patio with their candy and a beer.

The week of Thanksgiving was busy and very hectic. The kids were off of school for the week, so it made getting out of the house to finish up the grocery shopping nearly impossible. Thankfully Michelle was in and out all week dropping off everything she needed. Kristy made her pumpkin pies and Mashed potatoes, Ricky made the stuffing and green bean casserole and Jenny bless her heart tried to make the jello salad on her own. Callen started the turkey Wednesday night and stayed up with it all night. Amy had fallen asleep unusually early on the couch. He lay next to her and dozed between bastings.

Like the year before, everyone was coming over and they all brought desserts. Sam, Michelle and their kids showed up early to help Callen set up the tables in the garage. Amy was too exhausted to do much of anything. Everything she did, even the most menial of tasks wiped her out. Callen worried that she was getting sick. When she woke up for the day around eleven, Michelle eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you okay?" she asked making Amy a cup of coffee.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with me; I'm just so tired right now. Maybe I just tried to do too much." She said.

"You were fine last year, what do you think the difference is?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know, the kids are a year older, they want to do more. I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, running Kristy here and Ricky there." She said.

Michelle felt her head for a fever. "You don't feel warm. I hope you're not getting sick."

"Me too, but the kids go back to school on Monday, so I'll be able to rest." She said.

Callen walked back into the house and looked at Amy; she was pale and washed out. "Are you sure you're up to this today. We can pack up meals and send everyone home."

Amy smiled at her husband's thoughtfulness and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine Honey."

Callen pulled her to him and hugged her, "I'm just worried about you."

"A couple more cups of coffee and I'll be fine." She smiled.

Within an hour of everyone else showing up, Amy had hopped in the shower and came out feeling so much better. She had color back in her face and more energy. Callen felt a little better, but still worried. He helped Sam, Amy and Michelle get the table set and set out the food. The doorbell rang and chaos erupted. Everyone had shown up at once. It was taking coat and purses and running the armfuls to the guest room, then back to the kitchen to open the wine, fill the glasses and pass them out. Callen offered Hetty a glass of the Arak, but she chose bourbon instead. By the time they all sat down to dinner, Callen could see Amy's energy was dwindling again.

Everyone noticed her lack of exuberance and smiles. When she wasn't in the garage, they asked Callen and Michelle is she was okay. Neither of them knew what to say since they didn't know what was wrong. Hetty sat back and observed Amy closely and smiled when she figured it out. It would only be a matter of time; a few weeks at most; before Amy realized it too. Once dinner was cleared and dessert was set out, Callen refused to let Amy do anymore. He made sure she had a full glass of wine and asked the kids to start on the dishes.

Monday morning, after getting Jenny to school she sat down at the table with a cup of coffee and her holiday baking grocery list. She flipped through her family cookbook trying to figure out what she needed, but couldn't stay awake long enough to focus. Suddenly she realized she'd lost track of everything, even the monthly countdown. She picked up her phone and clicked on the app where she kept track of her monthly cycle and saw that she was fourteen days late. Shocked and elated, she grabbed her purse, keys and headed for the car. She drove straight over to the drug store and bought a pregnancy test. It all fit together, that's why she was so tired and dragging all the time.

She didn't need to take the test to know, but needed to confirm it for her own and Callen's sanity. As soon as she took the test it showed positive. Finally. She breathed a sigh of relief and cried. Amy snapped a picture of the results and sent it to Callen in a text.

Callen was sitting at his desk working on a report when he got a text. He opened the message and saw the picture, but wasn't sure what it was.

Amy sat on the edge of the couch waiting for his call. Within five minutes of sending him the picture, he called. "Hey."

"What is this a picture of?" he asked still trying to figure it out.

"That my love." She paused, choking back the tears. "Is a positive pregnancy test."

Callen's face went slack, and then a smile slowly replaced the blank stare. "Are you?"

"Fourteen days late." She smiled through her tears.

"Thank God." He whispered.

"We're going to have a baby." She cried.

Callen looked around wishing he wasn't alone in the bullpen. He was so excited, wanted to jump up and down, do a dance and scream it to the world, "You're really pregnant?"

"Yes Baby, we're pregnant." She said

"Is this why you're so tired all the time?" he asked.

"Yes, this is exactly why I'm so tired. By my estimate, I'm about a month along." She told him.

"Call the doctor and get yourself an appointment. I'll take the time off to go with you and every appointment you have. Forget getting a job. You're not doing anything. If the doctor says you can still run, we'll run together. I don't want anything happening to either of you." He smiled.

"I'll call the doctor as soon as we get off the phone." She promised.

"Alright, I'll let you go so you can call. I love you, Amy." He smiled

"I love you too Daddy." She said and hung up, then immediately dialed Dr. Fagan's office. They asked her to come in to the lab to take a serum test. Amy told them she could be there in fifteen minutes.

Callen had his head in his hands when Sam walked back into the bullpen. "G, you okay?"

Callen raised his head, tears in his eyes. "I'm absolutely wonderful."

"You don't look like it, who were you on the phone with?" he asked.

"Amy." Callen smiled.

"What's wrong, is she okay? Do you want me to call Michelle and have her go check on her?" Sam asked in a panic.

"No, you don't need to, but you might want to have Michelle call Amy. We figured out why she's been so tired the last couple weeks." He said with a huge grin.

Sam had a feeling he knew what Callen was going to say next and already was smiling. "Is she?"

"Yes, Amy's pregnant." Callen said standing.

"Whoa!" Sam yelled. "Man, congratulations."

Callen thought Sam was going to shake his hand till it fell off. "I can't tell you what a relief this is. I can't believe she's really pregnant."

"When did she find out?" Sam asked finally letting go of his hand.

"This morning, she sent me a picture of the positive pregnancy test." He said as Kensi and Deeks walked back into the bullpen.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Kensi said stopping and turning to Callen. "Did you say Amy's pregnant?"

All Callen had to do was smile and Kensi was jumping on him, hugging him. Deeks shook his hand as Nell, Eric and Hetty walked into the bullpen.

"Ha, I knew it." Hetty said looking at Callen.

"What do you mean you knew?" he asked.

"Just by how tired she was on Thursday, I had a feeling she'd figure it out too, just not this soon. Congratulations Mr. Callen." She said shaking his hand.

Nell and Eric offered their congratulations as well.

"Callen, take the rest of the day off, take your wife out to lunch or dinner. Take care of her and be back tomorrow morning." She said hugging him as he picked up his bag and headed for the door.

Amy was walking out to the Mustang when he pulled into the driveway. She figured Hetty would send him home when she found out. He got out of the car and ran to her, picking her up in his arms.

"I'm so happy; I can't believe you're really pregnant." He said jumping up and down with her in his arms. "Where are you going?"

"I called Dr. Fagan and she wants me to go do some blood work then she said she'd try to work me in." she said hugging him tightly.

He set her down and kissed her hard. "Let's go, I'll drive."

It took less than fifteen minutes to get to the clinic. They walked right in and over to the lab. She gave the receptionist her name and took a seat. A few minutes later, they called her back. The phlebotomist wrapped the band around Amy's arm and swiped her arm with and alcohol swab before feeling for a vein. She took out a butterfly needle, the attachment and five or six vials out of the baskets behind her.

"I thought the doctor ordered just a pregnancy test." He said.

The phlebotomist looked down at the order, "No, she ordered a full panel; pregnancy test, CBC, blood typing, Rh status, antibody screening, Hepatitis B and HIV; all the normal pregnancy blood work for the first trimester. Although, I've never seen the pregnancy test done with them, you must be one of Dr. Fagan's special cases."

Amy winced when she stuck her with the needle and got lightheaded by the time she got to the last vial. The tech told Amy to sit still while she got her some juice and made her sit there a few minutes after she'd finished it. Once she was feeling better, they walked over the Dr. Fagan's office and let the receptionist know she was there. She and Callen took a seat and waited as patiently as they could for the doctor. Thirty minutes passes before they saw the doctor walk through the waiting room. She stopped for a minute to talk to them before walking out again.

When she returned, she invited them back to her office. "Well, congratulations. The serum test came back positive. I'll let you know when the rest of the results are in. First I'd like to ask you some questions. When was your last period?" she asked.

"October twenty-fifth." Callen answered.

The doctor smiled. "Alright, looks like the date of conception was November eleventh. You won't be able to hear the heart beat until mid-December. Your due date is going to be anywhere from August eleventh to the fifteenth for full term. So let's schedule your first appointment for right before mid-December. Say the fifteenth?" she said looking at her schedule. "I can get you in at nine thirty or ten o'clock. We'll do the pelvic exam at the same time."

"December fifteenth is fine." Amy smiled.

"See, I told you it would work out." The doctor smiled.

"Now, Amy delivered her first three children pre-term. Should we take special precautions because of that?" Callen asked.

"I did see that in your chart. Your daughters were both born between thirty-five and thirty-six weeks and your son was born at thirty-two. You've also had four miscarriages in six pregnancies. How is that?" She asked perplexed.

"I miscarried with my first husband, had my daughter, miscarried my son's twin, had my second daughter and miscarried again four or five years ago." Amy explained.

"Alright, I understand now. You do understand that there is the chance you could miscarry this pregnancy. Although from the pattern you seem to follow, you miscarry every-other pregnancy, with the exception of the last two, but there was enough time between your last live births, that you could've been pregnant and had a miscarriage between. For now, continue with your normal activities, if you show signs of complications, we'll start restricting your activity. Because your current husband isn't the father of you other three children, I'm really not expecting any problems. That's not to say that there won't be. I'm just being optimistic." She told them.

"So she can continue running like she has been?" Callen asked.

"How much do you run?" she asked.

"Seven miles a day on average, none the last week, I just haven't had the energy." Amy told her.

"Cut that in half for a few weeks to see how you do." The doctor suggested.

"Should I run with her just in case something happens?" Callen asked.

"Honestly, Mr. Callen if Amy miscarries, there is not anything we can do to stop it. Though, I'm sure your wife would enjoy the company and encouragement. Especially the further along and bigger she gets." She smiled.

Callen tightened his hand around Amy's and smiled at her. "I can definitely run with you."

"Very good, again congratulations, I have a meeting to get to. I'll see you on December fifteenth. Oh and you can resume your previous sexual activity, it won't hurt the baby." She smiled, shook their hands and showed them to the waiting room

"Today is only December first; we've got fourteen days before the first official appointment. When are we going to tell the kids?" Amy asked.

"I say we wait until Christmas morning to tell them." Callen said grinning from ear-to-ear.

Once they were standing by the car, he pulled her to him and kissed her softly, rubbing her how flat stomach. "Just think in a couple months, I'll be rubbing your baby bump."

"I'm so excited, Callen. I can't even begin to tell you." She smiled, beaming, glowing.

"Are you feeling sick at all?" he asked.

"No morning sickness yet." She said still in his arms.

"When did you get it with the others?" Callen asked.

"With the girls immediately, that's how I knew I was pregnant. With Ricky not until the middle of the pregnancy." Amy told him.

"Are you hungry?" he asked walking her to the passenger door, opening it for her.

"I could eat." She smiled as she got in.

Callen leaned in and kissed her before closing the door and walking to the driver's side. "What do you feel like eating?"

"Whatever you want, I haven't started with the cravings yet. I'm sure you'll get them before me." She laughed.

When they got home, Callen cleared a spot in the living room for the tree and pulled all of the decorations into the house from the garage. He sat on the couch next to Amy and started going through the ornaments with her. There were so many ornaments that he hadn't heard all of the stories behind them. Callen loved Carole's sense of humor and what she chose to memorialize through the ornaments. About an hour in, Amy couldn't keep her eyes open, so he packed away the pieces they'd lain on the coffee table and lay down with her until it was time to go get Jenny from school.

Amy would wake-up periodically and they'd start talking about the baby. Neither knew how they were going to keep this from the kids until Christmas. Amy knew Kristy remembered her pregnancy with Jenny and had a feeling Kristy would suspect something within a few days. When she was hungry, she was ravenous. She'd even caught herself sneezing twice in a row the last few days. A dead giveaway to Kristy that she was pregnant. Callen thought she was making too much of it, that Kristy wouldn't be that receptive. Amy was so sure that she bet him that Kristy would.

"Ok, so what's the winner get?" he asked knowing he had it in the bag.

"Loser makes dinner the night Kristy puts two and two together." Amy smiled.

"Alright, dinner it is. Now we're talking whatever the winner wants for dinner, right? So say I want you for dinner, I can have it?" He laughed.

Amy rolled her eyes and rolled over to face him. "In a few months, we won't be able to this. I'm going to start showing soon since I've been pregnant so many times."

"Not necessarily, you've really tightened your core muscles." He told her.

"We'll see. I say I have a bump by Christmas." She said between soft kisses.

Callen looked into her eyes and smiled warmly. "I still can't believe you're pregnant."

"Are you scared at all?" she asked as she ran her fingers over his cheek.

"Of course I am. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby. We need to keep that baby inside you for as long as possible. Are you worried?" he asked.

"I am, but I think this pregnancy will be different. I'm in better shape, my blood pressure is where is should be, I'm not smoking and you're the father. I think all of that is going to make for a very different pregnancy." She smiled.

Callen looked at his watch, "You think you're up for a walk to the school with me?"

"I can try, I may need to lay back down afterwards." She smiled and sat up.

Like earlier in the day, they walked hand-in-hand over to the school. They met Jenny at the classroom and saw the look of horror on Jenny's face when she saw Callen. She burst into tears and wailed about her Daddy leaving again. Callen crouched down and pulled her to him. She hugged him tightly and begged for him not to go.

"Jenny-bean, look at me." He told her.

She lifted her head from his shoulder, he wiped her tears away. "How long are you going to be gone this time?"

"Honey, Hetty gave me the afternoon off, I promise I'm not going anywhere but home with you and Mommy. Guess what, Mommy and I pulled out all of the Christmas stuff. Do you want to help us decorate the tree after everyone finishes their homework?" he said.

Jenny looked up at Amy and saw she was smiling. "I would love to help decorate the tree. You really need to stop scaring me like that."

Mrs. Carter came over to make sure everything was alright. Jenny told her that Daddy wasn't leaving, but they were going to go home and decorate the tree. The teacher smiled warmly and gave Jenny a hug before telling her to have fun. The three walked back home, rather Callen and Amy walked while Jenny skipped ahead. She saw Ricky and Kristy waiting on the porch and ran over to them telling them that Callen wasn't leaving. Both kids still asked why he was home so early. He told them the same things he told Jenny, that Hetty let him off early.

He unlocked the house and looked at Amy, she was pale again. They let the kids in the house first. "Why don't you go ahead and lay back down for a while. I'll help the kids with their homework. What do you feel like for dinner?"

Amy kissed him before she walked into the house. "Thank you Honey, I appreciate it. I want something cheesy. The more the better."

"Craving?" he whispered.

Amy nodded and headed for the couch. Almost immediately, Kristy walked to the couch to ask if Amy was okay. Callen told her she still wasn't feeling well after having them home last week. Kristy stuck her tongue at him and headed upstairs to start her homework. Callen asked how much she had and that they'd be decorating the tree when she and the other two were done with their homework. Kristy ran up the stairs immediately. Amy had been thinking about getting a live tree this year and called Callen over.

"Hey Honey, what would you say to a live tree this year? We can go out and get one after the kids are done with their homework and pick-up something for dinner on the way back." She said smiling up at him.

"Sure." He smiled leaning over the back to the couch to kiss her. He heard little footsteps run up behind him. Jenny smacked his butt and ran back to the table giggling wildly. Callen winked at Amy, shot off the couch and turned around making spider fingers at Jenny.

She shrieked and ran behind the island. "No, don't tickle me."

Callen crouched to her level as he came to the corner of the island. He heard Jenny sidestepping away from him. She screamed when he jumped out with a roar and grabbed her. Amy could hear she giggling and kicking the ground as Callen pinned her to the floor. Jenny begged for him to stop and ran for the bathroom when he did. Callen walked back over to the couch and kissed Amy again. She loved the smile on his face and pulled him over the back of the couch on top of her. He immediately panicked and moved off of her.

"Calm down." She whispered. "You're not going to hurt me."

He scooted her over a little and lay between Amy and the back of the couch. Jenny cautiously opened the bathroom door and didn't see Callen. When he was nowhere to be found, she went back to the table to finish her homework. They heard her asked Ricky where Callen had gone, but didn't hear his response. One by one, they all finished their homework and joined them in the living room. Amy could feel a sneeze coming on and elbowed Callen, telling him to watch. Sure enough, Amy sneezed twice in a row. Kristy gave her mother an odd look, staring at her for a few minutes. Callen saw that he was going to lose the bet pretty soon.

They piled the kids in the van and headed out to get the tree. Amy couldn't wait for the smell of fresh pine to fill the house. Candles couldn't begin to compare to the wonderful scent. Callen and Ricky found a very full seven foot tree. Amy was concerned about it sticking too far into the room and asked that they find one that height but a little less full. Kristy was standing next to Amy.

"Mom, are you okay? You're acting a little weird." She said looking at her Mom.

Callen was looking at the two. Amy cleared her throat and smiled at him. "I'm fine Honey. Just a little overly tired. Nothing to worry about."

Kristy looked from her Mom to Callen and back. "Yeah, okay whatever you say."

The guys found an eight foot tree that was less full than the other. Amy walked around it as Callen and Ricky held it up proudly. She poked Callen in the side as she walked past him. It looked good, no bare spots. She smiled and told them to carry it to the register. The sales person cut the end so they had a fresh end and wrapped it in netting for them. Callen paid for the tree and he and Ricky carried it to the van. They tied it to the top of the van and turned to Amy. He pointed to the Pizza Hut in the same shopping center. She smiled and nodded.

As they walked into the restaurant, Amy spotted a P'zone on someone's plate. She turned to Callen and pointed at it. He knew exactly what that meant. They ordered two large pan pizzas; one that was half cheese and half pepperoni and the other pizza was Amy's sausage and black olives. He also ordered two of the sausage P'Zones with extra cheese. Amy squeezed his hand to thank him. Twenty minutes later, they walked out of Pizza Hut and headed home. Amy got the kids started at the table while Callen took the tree off the van and brought it into the house then went out into the garage to get the tree stand.

Amy was already eating when he joined them at the table. She'd already eaten her P'Zone and had started on the pizza. Kristy was keeping count on how many pieces she'd eaten.

"Holy crap Mom, that's your third slice after eat your P'zone. Do you have a tapeworm or something? I've only seen you eat like this when you're pregnant." She said.

There was silence at the table. Amy and Callen looked at each other, then at the kids. "What I'm hungry, I haven't eaten very much today."

For the time being, that answer sufficed, but both of them knew it wasn't going to be easy keeping this from the kids. Kristy kept a very watchful eye on both Callen and Amy. She knew they'd slip up sooner or later.


	28. Chapter 28

The morning of Amy's appointment, she'd gotten up before Callen and showered. She could smell the coffee as he walked into the bathroom and set a cup on the counter for her. They talked a few minutes while she finished. Callen was shocked when she pulled the curtain back and he saw the rounded bump. She smiled at him.

"I told you I'd be showing soon." She said as she dried herself off.

"My God, you look like you're what, three or four months pregnant. Is that why you're wearing oversized sweaters and sweatshirts?" He asked still eyeing the bump.

"Yes, I'm not trying to hide it from you. I'm trying to hide it from the kids. I told you Kristy would know something was going on." She said as she walked back into the room to get a pair of underwear from her dresser.

"Wait a minute, stop." He said pulling her over to the bed. Callen sat on the edge and cupped her belly in his hands. He looked up at her in awe. "How are you feeling, still no morning sickness?"

"No, I'm still just really tired, that's it." She told him.

Callen leaned over and kissed her stomach, then rested his cheek on it. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck. Rick never acted this way while she was pregnant. He complained that she was getting fat or hogged too much of the bed or bitched when she'd ask him to go find her something she was craving. Callen had gotten in the habit of calling her while on lunch or before he headed home from work to ask if there was anything she wanted him to bring home. Or he'd check the pantry and fridge to see how many packs of Double-Stuffed Oreos they had and how much milk was left. If they were really low, he'd bring some home for her during lunch. Otherwise, he'd bring it home after work.

She hadn't gained any weight that he noticed, even though she ate like a bottomless pit. In the evenings, Callen and Amy would go running together while Kristy stayed with the kids. She still kept up a good pace and slept like a rock for an hour when they got home. He thought she looked beautiful and made it a point to tell her on a regular basis. Callen kissed her belly one more time before he let her get dressed. He got the kids up and headed down stairs to start breakfast.

Amy had noticed over the last couple weeks that her clothes we getting tighter. This morning, she couldn't comfortably button her pants, so she looped a hair tied through the button hole and around the button itself. It was the extra inch or so that she needed, but knew she'd have to change into a pair of yoga pants as soon as she got home from the appointment. She was going to have to break down and get some maternity pants within the next few weeks. Satisfied with her appearance, she headed down to help Callen.

Kristy was coming out of her room when Amy got to the top of the stairs. "Why are you always wearing a sweatshirt, it's nice and warm in the house."

"I'm cold. I need to see the doctor and have her test me to see if I'm anemic." She lied.

Callen had a plate of pancakes waiting for Kristy as she walked into the kitchen. Ricky and Jenny were fighting coming down the stairs about who was going to get their first. Amy stood at the base of the stairs with her arms crossed watching them. Ricky pushed Jenny back and she yelled. They both stopped when they saw Amy. She told Ricky to keep his hands to himself and guided them to the table for breakfast. The kids wondered why Callen was still there and asked.

"I took a half day today so I could help you Mom with some stuff." He told them.

"Like what?" Ricky asked.

"Really Ricky, it's Christmas time, you know better than to ask something like that this time of year." Amy said before sipping her coffee.

"True, sorry." He said finishing his breakfast.

Kristy and Ricky stood in the garage while they waited for the bus because of the rain. Callen, Amy and Jenny joined them. Many of their friends wandered over instead of standing in the rain. Amy liked the fact that the kids in the neighborhood felt comfortable enough to come hang out. They all waved as they ran out into the downpour to meet the bus. Callen left the garage door open since they were going to be leaving soon to take Jenny to school. They walked back into the kitchen and the dog begging to be loved.

Amy walked over to the couch and sat down. The dog was up and on her right away. He had his head back and eyes closed as she scratched his sweet spot. She stopped and put her hands beside her and laughed when he nudged her hands for more. Callen walked over and gave him some love, but was met with a growl. He'd noticed that the dog had become very protective and possessive of Amy. So much that he slept between the two of them and would snap at Callen every time he reached across the great divide to touch her.

She pushed the dog off her lap and cuddled into Callen. He noticed she'd dozed off so he held her before he had to take Jenny to class. Callen woke her to let her know he was taking Jenny to school and left. When he returned fifteen minutes later, the dog was curled up at her stomach and the cat was on the back of the couch.

He cautiously approached the dog. "Are you going to let me tell Mom I'm back?"

The dog sniffed at his hand and nudged it for some love. With one hand, he petted the dog and the other he woke up Amy to let her know he was back. She smiled up at his and sat up. The dog immediately moved to her side. Callen sat on the opposite side and gave Amy a kiss. They sat for a while watching Good Morning America before he heard her stomach growling and took her out for a quick breakfast before her appointment.

No sooner did Amy check in and she was called back to an exam room. The nurse asked her to undress and put a gown on so the doctor could examine her. Once she'd changed, she got up on the table and waited. She and Callen were talking about making more cookies for their Christmas party when Dr. Fagan knocked and walked in. She greeted them and sat Amy chart on the counter as she washed her hands.

"How have you been feeling?" she asked.

"Tired, no morning sickness yet." She said with a smile.

"How are you over there, Dad?" she asked Callen.

"Getting more and more excited as the days go by." He smiled.

"Very good, let's get the pelvic exam out of the way before we get down to the fun stuff."

Callen and Amy held hands as the doctor did what she needed. She loved the goofy smile he had on his face whenever he was thinking about the baby, like he was right then. When the doctor had finished, she got out an ultrasound machine and put some clear gel on a wand.

"I apologize; this is going to be cold. The gel warmer in this room isn't working." She said as Amy's eyes got wide.

They looked over at the screen and saw the little heartbeat racing a mile a minute. Callen was leaning over right next to Amy and kissed her temple as tears filled his eyes. Amy looked back at him and kissed him before turning her attention back to the screen.

"Um Amy, when did you say your last period was?" The doctor asked measuring the baby.

"October twenty-fifth. Why?" she asked worried.

"Well according to the measurements, you closer to three months pregnant. Did you get a period with your other children?" The doctor asked.

"Oh man, yes I did." She smiled in relief.

"Ok, you are officially twelve and a half weeks pregnant. The good thing is that you're chances of miscarriage dramatically reduce from here on out. So instead of your due date being August, it's now July." She smiled.

"Three months?" Callen repeated shocked. "Amy drank at Halloween and Thanksgiving, does that hurt the baby?"

"No, the baby looks very healthy. Just no more alcohol." She said hitting a few more buttons on the keyboard. "Let me print a few of these pictures out for you guys to take with you."

"When are we going to be able to find out if it's a boy or a girl?" Callen asked.

"Between twenty-six and thirty weeks, are you guys going to want to know?" Dr. Fagan asked.

Callen and Amy looked at each other. "We'll have to talk about it. Can we let you know?"

"Of course." She said pulling the pictures off the printer. "I'll give these to you, Daddy. Amy you can go ahead and get dressed. Your blood pressure is consistently good, but we will monitor it closely. Overall, I think you guys have a good viable pregnancy. Amy, did you start presenting with problems this soon in your pregnancies before?"

"I went into labor the first time with the girls at twenty-four weeks and twenty-eight with Ricky. There was cramping in the beginning, but I attributed that to the uterus stretching and growing." Amy said from behind the curtain in the corner.

"Alright," Dr, Fagan said writing in Amy's chart. She looked up when Amy pulled the curtain back. "Have you had the cramping or anything yet?"

"Nothing, I've just had the typical first trimester tiredness and cravings." Amy smiled.

The doctor thought for a minute before she spoke again. "I'm honestly leaning towards you're not going to have any problems with this pregnancy, but I do want to keep an eye on you. You're still running?"

"Yes, we run almost every night." Callen said, "She still keeps a pretty good pace."

"Are you still running four miles?" she asked

"Yes, we are." Callen answered as Amy was nodding her head.

"Good, you can go ahead and increase it by a half mile a week, but as soon as you start having problems. I want you to go back down to four. No more than your normal eight miles." The doctor said and stood. She shook their hands and walked out of the room.

"Oh Doctor, when do you want to see Amy back?" Callen called after her from the door.

"Good grief, I'm so sorry. In a month." She said flustered.

"Thank you Dr. Fagan." They said as she walked back down the hall.

Callen turned around and smiled at Amy. He crossed the room to the examining table and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on the step, bringing her eye-to-eye with him. They kissed again and beamed before they were interrupted by the nurse.

"I'm sorry, I thought you guys had left already." She said when she walked in the room.

"Sorry, we're leaving now." Callen said, helping step down from the table. She grabbed her purse, jacket and followed Callen out of the room.

Callen dropped Amy off at the house and went on to work. They'd split the ultrasound photos so he could show them to everyone at work. Amy was heading out to but a photo frame for the tree. Both she and Callen wanted to see which one of the kids noticed it first. If they didn't, then they'd call their attention to it Christmas morning. She found an adorable 'Baby's First Christmas' frame and figured they could change the babies picture out next year. When she got home, she fit the picture to the frame and put it on top of the refrigerator.

Callen walked into the office just beaming. Everyone gathered around as he showed the ultrasound pictures. They were so involved that they didn't see Granger walk up behind them. He stood there waiting for them to finish before he asked to see the pictures, smiled and congratulated Callen. The group dispersed and went on about their work. Granger walked back to Hetty's office and sat down at her desk.

"What do you think they're having?" he asked her casually.

Hetty looked at him over her glasses. "I don't know, I'll have to wait to see how she's carrying before I make a guess."

Granger nodded and just sat there.

"Was there something you needed Owen? Or are you just here to annoy me?" she asked.

"No, just here." He said.

"Well, I'm sure you can find something to do other than sit here at my desk." She told him.

Granger took the hint and decided to wander up to Ops. Nell and Eric were chatting while they worked at their computers. It had been slow so far that month, allowing the team to catch on their reports. He stood over their shoulders watching what they were doing. Nell stopped and looked at him before returning her attention to her screen. She was trying to find some new leads on a few of their cold cases. Eric was going back over the file footage collected for that particular case.

Satisfied that they were actually working productively, he turned around and walked out. He stood at the railing watching the office below. Hetty's team; while they were sitting at their desks; weren't exactly working on their reports. He could see them passing the pictures back and forth and carrying on a conversation. After two hours of nothing exciting, he left the office.

Callen got home as Amy was putting the chicken in the oven. He set down his stuff and walked into the kitchen.

"How are you?" he asked eyeing the kids at the table.

"I'm fine, how was the rest of your day?" she smiled, once she closed the oven door, Callen walked over and put his hand on her belly and gave her a kiss.

"It was a day full of paperwork. Did you pick-up what we talked about?" he asked her.

Glancing at the table, she nodded her head towards the refrigerator. Callen smiled and walked over feeling the top for the picture frame. Without the kids noticing, they walked into the living room and hung it on the tree. He put his arm around her and the two stood there looking at it. Amy wasn't as tired as usual, but still tired. She leaned her head on Callen's shoulder when Kristy walked into the room.

"Ok, what's going on with the two of you? You're acting really strange." She said from behind the couch.

"Nothing honey, I'm just tired and Callen here is holding me up so I don't fall over." She smiled over her shoulder.

Kristy did smile at her mother's comment. But knew there was something more going on. Nell and Eric were coming over that night so Callen and Amy could finish-up the Christmas shopping. She hoped they'd let something slip about that was going on. "Are Eric and Nell still coming over tonight?"

Callen looked at his watched and turned to her. "They should be here almost anytime. How was school today?"

"Not too bad, I showed my history teacher everything we'd found when we were doing the research and she said it wasn't enough."

"Alright, take a break from it tonight and we'll work on it together tomorrow." He said as he saw Eric and Nell arrive.

Callen had the door open before they could ring the bell. "Come on in you guys."

"Hey Kristy, how are you?" Eric asked.

"I'm good Eric, hi Nell." She smiled.

"Hi guys." Nell said when she walked in.

"Thank you guys for watching the kids for us." Callen said when Eric and the kids followed him into the living room.

Nell looked at Amy's stomach and smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, did he tell you I'm three months, not two?" she whispered.

"He did, we're all so excited for you both." Nell said following her into the kitchen.

"There's a picture of the baby on the tree, we want to see if the kids notice it, but please don't point it out. We really want to tell them Christmas morning." Amy smiled.

"No worries, we won't say a word." She said.

Once the chicken was done, they all sat down to dinner. The kids told the four adults about their days at school and Eric brought up the family picture Jenny had drawn. He told her that Callen keeps it on his desk. Jenny loved hearing it and announced she was going to draw a picture of Nell and Eric so they can have a picture at work too. After dinner, Nell and Eric ushered Callen and Amy out the door.

Amy was so tired and didn't know if she had the energy for shopping. Callen offered for her to stay home, but she wanted some one on one time with him. They talked about the baby and everything they'd need as they drove to the mall. Callen stopped into the baby department to look at cribs and bedding before going to the toy department. He found a couple cute little girl prints, but not much he liked for a boy. Amy didn't have a good feeling of what they were having yet.

"So, are we going to find out what we're having or are we going to be surprised?" she asked.

"Did you know with the other three?" He asked

"I did. It took two ultrasounds to find out what Jenny was." She laughed.

"I think it would be kind of fun to wait until you deliver." Callen said.

She walked over to him and put his arm around his waist. "Then wait we will."

Callen smiled and kissed her softly. "Alright."

"Come on, let's get what we came here to for." Amy said exhaustedly.

Eric, Nell and the kids watched some TV while they waited for Callen and Amy to get back. Kristy thought about asking if they knew what was going on, but didn't want to do it in front of her brother and sister. So she waited. Finally, Ricky had gone upstairs with Eric to play a game and Jenny was in the bathroom.

"Nell, can I ask you something?" she said shyly.

"Sure, what is it?" Nell said giving Kristy her full attention.

"There's something going on with my Mom and Callen, do you know what it is?" she asked.

Nell froze. "Um, not that I know of, have you talked to them about it?"

"I have but Mom just says she's overly tired or cold. You saw how much she ate at dinner. The last time I saw her like this was when she was pregnant with Jenny." Kristy told her.

"Well, let me ask you this. Would it bother you if your Mom and Callen had a baby?" she said facing her, head resting on her hand.

"I know they want to have a baby. I'm just worried about whether or not I'll be on diaper duty. I guess it would be nice if they had a baby that was theirs. I know Callen loves us like we were his and we love him too. I really wouldn't mind having another little brother or sister." She smiled.

Nell smiled too, but wasn't about to tell her about the baby. "The only thing I do know is that they've got something pretty special planned for you guys for Christmas. Your Mom might just be stressing out over that, Honey."

"Yeah, she gets a little weird at Christmas, I hadn't thought about that." She said getting up and going into the kitchen.

Nell quickly pulled out her phone and texted Amy letting her know that Kristy had just asked if she was pregnant. Amy showed it to Callen and they knew it couldn't wait until Christmas. She and Callen agreed that they'd tell the kids when they got home. Both of them were nervous.

Kristy walked back into the living room and noticed something new on the tree. She turned around to Nell. "Have you seen this?"

"Seen what?" She asked, knowing what it was because she'd seen it a few minutes ago herself.

"That's an ultrasound picture." She squealed. "She is pregnant, I knew it. Ricky come here."

Eric and Ricky came down the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"Look at this." Kristy said holding the frame out to him.

Ricky studied it for a minute before his eyes lit up. "It had better be a baby brother."

"Jenny guess what, Mommy's going to have a baby. See this is the baby and that's its heart." Kristy said pointing to the photo. "Do you know when they're supposed to be back?"

Eric looked at the clock on the wall. "It should be anytime now."

No sooner did he say it and they pulled into the driveway. All three kids ran to the door and threw it open. Callen and Amy got out of the car and the kids started yelling.

"Hold on, what's wrong?" Amy asked before she noticed the ultrasound picture in Kristy's hand.

"You're gonna have a baby!" she screamed with joy.

"Yes we are. I'm just a little past three months along." She told them.

"Come on, let's go sit down and we'll talk about it." Callen told them, and then asked. "You guys aren't upset are you?"

The kids told them that they were very excited. Ricky reiterated that it had to be a boy. Callen and Amy explained that they decided not to find out until the baby was born. The kids were a little disappointed, but warmed to the idea of the surprise. Kristy realized that she'd be moving down stair and got even more excited. They told her that yes, eventually she would move to the guest room, but that they'd be keeping the baby in with them for the first few months. Callen and Amy truly were relieved that the kids took the news as well as they did. If could have turned out so much different. Amy attributed it to the fact that Callen was a part of their lives and he'd shown them he loved them.

The weekend before Christmas was their Christmas party. Amy had more energy and was showing more and more by the day. Callen had picked up a cute little red Maternity dress for her one day last week. He loved how she looked in it. She was getting ready to put the sweet potato casserole in the oven when he walked in from the garage and stopped to admire her. At three and a half months pregnant, she looked like she was at least four months along. She turned around to walk to the refrigerator and noticed him.

"What are you doing?" she smiled.

"Just watching you." he said lovingly.

They walked towards one another and met in the middle, wrapping their arms around each other. Callen kissed her softly and rubbed the bump. He couldn't wait to be able to feel the baby kick for the first time. He couldn't wait for a lot of things. Kristy walked in to the kitchen and watched them.

"Don't you two know that, that's what got you in the condition you're in?" She smiled.

Callen and Amy stopped and looked at her, "Kristina."

"What, it is." She laughed.

"Yes it is, but you still don't need to put it that way." Amy told her.

"I wanna feel the bump too." She said skipping over to them. Kristy smiled widely as she rubbed her hand over her mother's growing belly. "I don't remember you getting this big so soon with Jenny."

"Honey, you were seven when I was pregnant with Jenny. Plus I've lost so much weight that you can see everything now." She said looking almost eye to eye with her daughter.

"You look cute through. I really like the dress Callen bought you, you did good Dad." She said smiling at Callen.

"Thank you, Kristy. That means a lot coming from the fashionista herself." He said putting an arm around her. "Do you want to help you Mom and I set the tables in the garage?"

"That's why I'm here." She said.

"Thank you, Honey." Amy said kissing her forehead.

"I can't wait to see you waddle like a duck." Kristy said and then ran as Amy tried to swat at her.

Sam and Michelle arrived early as usual. They jumped in and helped as well. Since the kids already knew about the pregnancy and Amy so clearly couldn't hide it anymore, they were able to talk about it out in the open. Michelle was curious, wondering why they chose not to know whether the baby was a boy or girl. Callen and Amy explained that they just wanted to be surprised. Callen suggested that they have the doctor write down the gender of the baby and seal it in an envelope. Michelle had offered to throw them a baby shower, so she would be the one to get the envelope. She enjoyed the idea and fully intended on teasing them with it every chance she got.

The only question was when to have the shower; before or after the baby. They decided to have the shower before, but the colors would be nondescript. Michelle and Amy were in the kitchen talking when Sam and Callen walked in. Michelle was about to rub Amy's belly when Sam stopped her, telling her that it was contagious. She rolled her eyes and did it anyway, with both hands.

Their guests arrived minutes after Callen took the turkey from the oven and started carving it. Everyone followed their noses to Callen's side and stole pieces as quick as they could without getting a finger taken off. Amy was getting everything else onto the dining room table. Kristy handed out the plates and everyone helped themselves. Like the year before, the food was good and the conversation was even better. The team was very happy to see Amy back to her old self. Callen had found her some Vernors ginger ale, so instead of wine with dinner, that's what she drank.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, they cleared the tables; Kristy and Ricky loaded and started the dishwasher. At nine, Amy was setting out the cookies, cannolis, cakes and pies. She was astonished when the homemade cannolis were the first to disappear. Everyone raved about how good they were, which pleased her since the recipe had been her grandmother, before it was passed to her mother. She honestly didn't know if the recipe had gone any further back in her family.

The crowd thinned out by eleven and Amy plopped herself on the couch with a third cup of coffee. "You know that you're not supposed to drink that much caffeine when you're pregnant." Michelle said.

"When Mom's pregnant, she's wired backwards. Decaf wires her and regular coffee puts her to sleep." Kristy told her.

Michelle couldn't tell if it was the coffee or the hour that was putting Amy to sleep. "Kristy, why don't you take all the kids upstairs to bed, I'll work on getting your Mom up there."

"Alright, come on you guys its bed time." She told them.

"Callen, do you want to get Amy upstairs before she falls asleep?" Michelle asked.

Callen walked over to the couch to find Amy struggling to stay awake. "Yeah, come on Honey."

Amy put her coffee on the table and let Callen lead her up the stairs. "I'm sorry to be a party pooper."

"Amy, you're pregnant. You're not being a party pooper. Michelle and Sam will probably go to bed soon too." He told her as he unzipped the back of her dress.

"If I weren't so tired and there weren't so many extra people in the house, I'd take you to bed with me." She smiled and kissed him.

"I wish," Callen smiled and kissed her back. "What pajamas do you want to wear?"

"It really doesn't matter, any pair will do." She smiled

"Night gown okay?" he asked holding it out to her.

"Thank you, Honey." She said slipping the dress off and pulling the nightgown over her head.

She immediately got into bed and was asleep before Callen could kiss her goodnight. "I love you, Amy." She smiled and mumbled that she loved him too. Callen went back downstairs for a half hour before Sam and Michelle announced they were turning in for the night. So he locked up and went to bed.

Christmas morning, Amy tried to get out of bed without waking Callen. She snuck downstairs and made a pot of coffee. A few minutes later, Callen came down and walked up behind her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." She told him resting the back of her head on his chest, his hands on her belly.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Amy turned to face him. "Merry Christmas to you too."

"You know, we could sneak back upstairs for a little bit." He said in a sexy, husky voice.

"Mmm, I would love to, but I think the kids will be downstairs in a few minutes. Would you settle for later today, we can tell the kids I'm going to take a nap and you can come join me?" She smiled as she kissed his bottom lip.

"That sounds good too." He kissed her passionately.

"Maybe we should go upstairs." She whispered. They stood in the kitchen kissing until they heard footsteps on the stairs.

Callen went over to the fireplace and started the fire. Then went through the Christmas CDs and found Amy's Nat King Cole disc. One of her favorites and put it in the player. Kristy asked if they could have hot chocolate so Amy went to the pantry to get the mix. Jenny and Ricky came down a little while later. Once everyone had a cup of whatever they wanted, they sat down to open presents.

This year, Callen handed out the presents. He made sure everyone had a present before he sat down to open his own. An hour later, the presents were opened and the wrapping paper was everywhere. Callen got a bag and picked it all up while Amy sat and opened boxes and put together toys. Callen walked back into the living room and handed Amy another present. Surprised, she took it and opened it. It was a key, she looked at him funny. He helped her off the couch and led her to the garage.

"You got a new van?" she asked smiling.

"I did, the only one wasn't as reliable as it used to be and I wanted you and the kids as safe as possible. Go look at it." He told her.

It was a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan, black just like her Venture. It was eight passenger as well, but the middle windows rolled down half-way. Amy was elated. She hugged Callen so tight he thought he was going to pass out.

"Can we really afford this?" she asked.

"It's completely paid for, ours free and clear." He smiled.

"God Callen, I can't believe you did this. Thank you so much." She said kissing him.

"We'll take it down to Sam and Michelle's later this morning, okay?" he asked, knowing it definitely would be.

"Of course, I can't believe it. Thank you." She started crying; pregnancy hormones.

"Look inside, you've got hands free everything, the seats fold into the floor, there's plenty of space in back for the stroller and groceries or anything else you could possibly want to put back there. You've got a dock for your IPod, navigation system, all of the internet music channels." He said to Amy while she sat in the driver's seat.

He paused for a moment and Amy kissed him soft and slow. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He said in a whisper, tongue tied and reeling.

The moment was interrupted when Ricky came out telling them that Amy's Mom was on the phone. Knowing exactly why she was calling, they hurried into the house. They didn't know why Ricky hadn't brought the cordless phone to them.

"Hey Mom, Merry Christmas." Amy said as she put the phone to her year.

"You're pregnant!" she said excitedly.

"Yes, I am. Three and a half months." Amy smiled.

"I'm so happy for you. How did Callen react when you told him?" Carole asked.

"Callen was so happy, I sent him a picture of the home test and he called me right back. He's been so good so far." She smiled over at Callen.

"Now what's this about a new van, Ricky said you were in the garage?" She asked quickly.

"Callen bought us a new van. The Venture was on its last legs; he wanted to be sure that we were all safe." She said, still smiling.

"God, I'm so thankful you two found each other. He's so good for you." Carole said.

"Me too Mom, me too." She said.

"So if you're three months, you're due in July. Would you mind if we came down if I'm not at treatment?" Carole asked hesitantly.

"We would love it if you were here. I know you still regret missing Jenny's." Amy said remembering her parent's refused to come down for Jenny's because they didn't want to see Rick and she had Toya to take care of her.

"Yes, hindsight is kicking me in the ass for that now." Carole said. "So what are you guys doing the rest of the day?"

"We're going down to Sam and Michelle's for presents and dinner." She told her.

"Very good, I'm so glad you have them down there. Have you and Callen thought at all about God-parent's for the baby?" She asked.

"I have, but really haven't had a chance to talk to Callen about it." She said, Callen cocked his head to the side and looked at her curiously. Amy mouthed that she'd tell him later.

"I think I know who you're going to ask. Are you going to have at least one of your children baptized?" Carole asked trying not to sound too brash.

Amy sighed; she knew her Mom would bring that up. "Mom, Callen's not Catholic. I'm sure he'd be more open to the idea than Rick was, but I'm not going to bring it up now. Don't you think it's kind of unfair to the other if the baby is baptized and they aren't?"

"Don't get upset, I was just asking." Carole said in her defense. "You do have a valid point."

"Mom, I've got to start getting ready for the trek to Sam and Michelle's, I'll call you either later or tomorrow, okay?" she asked.

"Yes Amy, that's fine. I'm sorry I upset you." Carole said feeling horrible now.

"It's alright Mom, don't worry about it." She said. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, Honey." Carole said and hung up.

Amy punched the end button on the call and slammed the phone on the table. She didn't care that everyone was looking at her; she just went upstairs and got in the shower. A few minutes later, Callen came in and asked what happened. Amy explained the baptism conversation. He understood where both Carole and Amy were coming from, and told Amy ultimately, it was their decision and no one else's. Amy agreed and asked him about God-parent's for the baby. They agreed without much discussion that they would ask Sam and Michelle and knew they'd agree.

Callen joined her in the shower for the first time in a long time and laughed at how little room they had. Amy reminded that it was just going to get smaller the bigger she got. He told her he was looking forward to it and soaped up the mesh scrubber so he could wash the bump. Amy just laughed as he washed her stomach, it kind of tickled. When they were done, both getting clean and having a little shower time fun, they dried off and got dressed. Callen picked out a pair of black maternity slacks and a red blouse for her, knowing red was her favorite color and being that it was Christmas, he found it very festive.

The kids were dressed and ready to go when they came downstairs. Everyone was looking forward to the ride in the new van. Callen and Amy carried their contribution to dinner and dessert out to the van as the kids were getting in. Amy smiled knowing that in six months, they'd be loading the baby in the van too. Callen was thinking the very same thing and stood behind Amy rubbing the bump. Kristy loved seeing her Mom so happy and loved Callen so much. She unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the van to give them a hug, making a Mom sandwich. Amy was so please by the young woman Kristy was becoming and told her so. Kristy beamed and started to cry. Callen and Amy both hugged her and thanked her for everything she'd done to help out.

The ride down to the Hanna's was a long one; traffic was horrible going both North and Southbound. It was however a very smooth, quiet and comfortable ride. Amy loved the new van and couldn't help but smile at Callen. When they pulled into Sam's driveway, their oldest was out riding her new motorized scooter. Kristy, Ricky and Jenny ran over to check it out. Callen and Amy got the food out of the car and went into the house. Michelle and Sam were waiting for them right inside the door.

"So, how do you like your new ride?" Michelle asked excitedly while hugging Amy.

"I love it, I was so surprised." Amy laughed.

"It's been here for almost a week, I wanted to drive it so bad. They let me drive it up last night." She smiled.

"You guys knew about it?" Amy asked wide eyed. "So I see how this is going to go. Fine, I want in on all the gift giving occasions."

"Good, Michelle's birthday is coming up and I have no idea what to get her." Sam teased.

"Have you heard from your Mom yet?" Michelle asked.

Amy smile quickly faded. "Oh yes, they're very excited about the baby and of course asked about having the child baptized."

"You said she would, I hoped she wouldn't have broached the subject right away." Michelle said.

"You and me both, ruined my mood for a while." She said then gave Callen a quick smile.

"Well, you're here now, forget about it let's have some fun." Sam said before calling the kids in.

"Callen, we forgot their presents." Amy remembered.

"No, I sent them back with them last night when they dropped off the van. I figured the less we had to remember to bring the better." He smiled.

Amy walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Damn you're smart."

"Well thank you." He said and kissed her.

Once the kids were in the house and jackets had been shed, they started opening presents. Michelle and Amy had coordinated so that the kid's presents were consistent with what their parents or Santa had gotten them. The kids loved all of their presents and begged for the boxes to be opened. Sam made them wait until after they picked up the wrapping paper and put it in the trash bag. The kids complained and griped, but did it. When they were done, all four of the adults opened the boxes and put the toys together in need be.

The kids were in the bedrooms playing with their gifts, leaving Sam, Michelle, Callen and Amy in the living room to talk. Callen and Amy saw it as the perfect time to ask Sam and Michelle to be the baby's God-parents.

"We have something we'd like to ask the two of you." Callen said.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked, worried.

"No, everything's fine. We were wondering if the two of you would be the baby's God-parents." He asked. By the smiled that slowly crept across their faces he knew the answer.

"Yes, of course we will. We'd be honored." Sam answered.

"Thank you both very much." Amy said.

"You're so welcome." Michelle said getting up and hugging Amy.

They chatted the afternoon away before dinner was ready. Then all sat down to a very nice dinner. Amy raved about how good the food was and went back for seconds. Callen enjoyed watching Amy eat and knew she'd be hungry again within the next three hours. Like clockwork, she was in the kitchen with Michelle piling a plate with leftovers. Not too much since they would be having dessert in a couple hours, just enough to hold her over till then. In the three months Amy had been pregnant, she'd only put on two pounds. Since she and Callen ran nearly every day, she wasn't really worried about gaining weight.

When the girls came back into the living room, Callen rubbed the bump and asked if she was full. Amy smiled and placed her hand over his. Just as Amy wondered when she'd start feeling movement, Michelle asked about it. She hoped it would be within the next few weeks; otherwise she'd begin to worry. Since she was growing, she knew the baby was growing. They walked for a while longer until the kids came out begging for dessert. So Amy and Michelle went back into the kitchen to get everything ready and set out. Callen and Sam joined them, helping to slice the pies and plate the cookies. The kids watched impatiently as the adults purposely took their time.

After the kids tore through the desserts, the four adults enjoyed what was left. By eight, Amy couldn't keep her eyes open. Sam and Michelle offered for them to stay the night, but Callen said he was okay to drive and that they would plan on it the next time they came down. Fortunately, the traffic going home wasn't so bad. By the time he pulled into the driveway, Amy and the kids were asleep. One by one, he either carried or guided the kids up stairs before he got Amy. He realized in the process of waking her up that he never carried her across the threshold when they got home from their honeymoon. With Amy awake, he scooped her up and took her in the house locking the garage door behind him and took his wife upstairs to bed.

He laid her gently on the bed kissing her the whole time. Undressed her and himself and made love to her for hours, before finally falling asleep. Their last words to each other were 'Merry Christmas' and 'I love you'.


	29. Chapter 29

New Years happened in its normal fashion; except that Callen and the kids did all of the cooking while Amy relaxed. She was so thankful and took advantage to the time to take a nap with the hopes on staying awake until midnight. The others had decided that Amy needed the rest, so they all elected to make other plans for the night. Callen woke Amy up at five. He crawled into bed next to her and just cuddled with her for an hour before actually waking her up. She loved when he woke her up like that. Amy rolled over to face him and smiled. He was thinking about the baby, she could tell.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked in a soft tone.

"Very well, thank you." She told him as she stretched.

"Everything's done so if you want to come downstairs. I know you've got to be hungry." He laughed.

"When am I not hungry?" They both laughed.

She rolled onto her back before trying to sit up. Callen of course had his band on her belly. His hand was warm and his touch soft. Amy looked over at him and rolled back to kiss him. She let out a soft sigh when he kissed her back. They stayed in bed for a little while longer, his hand on her stomach and her head on his shoulder. Jenny wandered in the room and got on the bed with them. She asked if they were okay and they told her they were fine. Callen scooted back a little and pulled Jenny between them. Soon Ricky and Kristy joined them too. The bed frame creaked under the weight. Amy was content. She didn't want for anything and didn't need anything. If it were up to her, they would've stayed in bed like that all night.

By six, though she was hungry and needed to eat before she passed out. Getting out of bed, she stumbled forward, nearly knocking her head on the wall. Callen jumped over to her and made sure she was okay.

"I'm fine; I'm just a little light headed. I get like this when I don't eat or drink for a while." She assured him.

Callen walked her down stairs and put her on the couch before he loaded a plate for her. They all sat around her on the couch and went through the pay-per-view movies and picked one to watch. The majority of the night was spent watching movies as a family. Amy enjoyed the nice quiet evening. Jenny struggled to stay away and lost the fight at ten thirty. Callen left her downstairs so they could wake her up for the midnight toast. By eleven, Amy was hungry again, so Ricky got her another plateful. When he came back over, in spite of now being twelve, he cuddled next to his mother. She put her arm around him once she'd finished eating.

Callen got up at eleven forty-five to open the sparkling cider and filled the plastic champagne flutes for the kids and their toasting glasses for him and Amy. They changed the channel to Dick Clark's New Years Rocking Eve and toasted in 2015. After they finished the movie they were watching they all went to bed.

Callen was back to work on Monday as were the kids. There were ten days until Amy's next appointment. After taking Jenny to school, she went out for a run. Three miles, then came home and showered before she headed out to meet Michelle at the mall. She was standing in the middle of the baby department looking at the crib Callen liked. It was a blonde shade of wood, strong and sturdy, nothing too feminine or masculine about it since they didn't know if they were having a boy or girl. Michelle walked up beside her and handed her a cup of coffee.

"I figured you could use this." Michelle smiled.

"Oh yes, thank you. I made the mistake of running this morning and now I'm dragging." Amy said sipping the coffee.

"You know Callen's going to be mad when he finds out you went by yourself." Michelle lectured.

"I know and it won't happen again. I'll tell him tonight so we don't run the full eight miles." She said.

"How did you do?" She asked.

"Not bad, no cramping. I was frozen to the bone by the time I got back to the house. I had to stand in the hot shower for twenty minutes just to thaw out." Amy laughed.

Michelle looked at her watch. "We've got about ten minutes until your registry appointment. Is this the crib you guys are thinking about?"

"Yeah, Callen really likes this one. It converts to a full-sized bed when the baby gets older." She said smiling.

They wandered over the gift registry department and met with the consultant. The woman led them back to the baby department and started scanning whatever items Amy wanted. Annoyed that they couldn't take their time and felt rushed, Amy asked if she could just have the gun and return it to her when they were done. She even offered up her driver's license in exchange. The woman stormed off and the ladies took their time wandering the department. After scanning onesies and burp clothes, pajama sets in white, yellow and green, Amy found the cutest little outfit. Michelle saw her face when Amy was looking at it. A pair of khaki slacks, long sleeved button up shirt, sweater vest and tie. Michelle ripped the gun from Amy's hand and scanned it, telling Amy to pick out a girls outfit too.

Honestly, Amy didn't find anything she really liked for a baby girl. She scanned a little dress with a head bow. When it came time to pick out the baby bedding, it took a while. She had to pick between the three girl prints Callen liked. Finally, she saw it; an adorable blue and green teddy bear print for a boy. It reminded her of the one she'd picked out for Ricky, but was different enough at the same time. She absolutely loved it and secretly prayed they had a boy. They finished with the selection in the store and grabbed a couple of the baby catalogs before they returned the gun. The consultant returned Amy's driver's license and downloaded the gun. Before Michelle and Amy left, the consultant handed her the registration packet and paper copy of the registry.

Callen and the others sat at their desks talking about their weekends. Eric called them up to Ops in one of his quirky ways. Callen felt it in the pit of his stomach; this wasn't going to be a good case. As they filed in, he noticed Granger standing at the table. No, this definitely wasn't going to be a good case. He listened intently as Nell and Eric explained the case. It was going to be a very labor intensive man-hunt for the Arms dealers in Serbia; they had to work in country, undercover. Callen loved his job, but with Amy being pregnant and high-risk, he didn't want to leave her. They worked out the logistics of their flight and were released for the day. Callen remembered that Michelle and Amy were at the baby registry appointment, so he drove home and sat at the table to wait for her.

He wondered how she was going to take the news of his impending departure. He hoped it was a quick trip in and a quick trip out. Amy's four month check-up was in ten days. This was the appointment when they scheduled the big ultrasound. God forbid he should miss that. He was truly torn between the woman he loved and his job. Callen looked down at his watch and got up to make himself something to eat. When he'd finished lunch and she still wasn't home, he worried.

As they walked through the mall to the food court they talked. Michelle could tell that Amy really wanted a boy. She admitted that she did, just to even up the odds. Not to mention someone to carry on the Callen name. Michelle mentioned that she looked like she had a basketball stuffed in her shirt. Being that she just saw herself as fat, she never noticed. Once they finished lunch, they parted ways and headed home. Callen was already there and it was only one o'clock. She knew immediately that he was going away.

"How long this time?" she asked when she walked in and saw him sitting at the table.

"I don't know we have to go overseas." He said somberly.

Amy sighed and sat down next to him fighting the urge to cry. "I knew you being home wasn't going to last long."

"I'm sorry, Amy. We'll get back as soon as we can. I'll call you as often as I can. We aren't leaving until tomorrow, so why don't we go out to dinner tonight with the kids. Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?" he asked, truly worrying about her.

"I'll be fine. Michelle will be around." She said looking at the wood grain on the table, trying to avoid meeting his eyes.

Callen reached over and gently pulled her face to look at him. She burst into tears. "Amy Honey, I'm sorry. Let's look at the registry, how did it go?"

"It's just the hormones." She said between sobs and pulled the registry packet and catalogs from her bag.

They sat there going through everything she'd picked. "I registered for the crib you liked and this is what I chose for the bedding." She said flipping through the catalogs.

"Those are really cute, the boy print must be new they didn't have it at Christmas." He said mesmerized by the print.

"The sales associate said it came in this week." She smiled. "I found the cutest little boy outfit. A little pair of khakis, long sleeve dress shirt, sweater vest and tie."

"Oh that is cute. Did you find an outfit for a girl?" he asked looking at his wife.

"I did, but it's nowhere near as cute." She admitted.

"You really want a boy, don't you?" he asked.

"I do, Ricky would have his baby brother and we'd have someone to carry on the Callen name; continue your bloodline." She told him.

"It doesn't matter to me, as long as it's healthy, but I do admit a boy would be nice." He said.

Amy started crying again; Callen stood and pulled her to a standing position, holding her as she cried. He hated doing this to her and in the middle of the pregnancy. So much could happen with the pregnancy at this point and he didn't want to miss even the smallest thing. She dried her tears the best she could and looked up at him.

"Just please be careful, we need you to come back in one piece." She said.

"I know, I know." He said never loosening his grip on her.

They walked to the school to pick up Jenny, she knew immediately. Callen and Amy talked to Mrs. Carter and explained that he had to go out of town for an unknown amount of time. She understood and offered to have Jenny talk to the school counselor. They thanked her and went home; knowing Ricky and Kristy were waiting on them. Once they got home, they hurried through homework and Callen then explained why he was home early. Neither of the older two kids took it well. He asked that they help their Mom out as much as possible and that they spend time together instead of isolating themselves.

The kids agreed with tearful smiles. He asked them where they'd like to go to dinner and they requested a night of fun. So they were Dave and Buster's bound. Since it was still early, they followed the kids through the arcade, letting them play whatever game they wanted. Callen and Ricky played a shooting game. Clearly Ricky had his mother's shooting skills. He and Jenny played Skee ball, together they won a handful of tickets and promised to take her to check out the prizes before they headed home. Kristy and Callen played a motorcycle racing game and was quite humbled when she beat him by a huge margin. Amy looked on the entire time with nothing but a smile.

After two hours in the arcade, they headed into the restaurant for dinner. Kristy ordered a steak; of course; as did Callen. Amy ordered chicken strips with honey mustard sauce and Ricky ordered grilled chicken, both couldn't pick between the two meals, so they split them. Jenny ordered grilled cheese, fries and fresh fruit. It was a nice dinner. Before leaving, they went to redeem Jenny's tickets. She chose a little blue teddy bear, Callen was so touched when he handed it to her and she told him to take it with him when he left. He scooped her into his arms and gave her a huge hug.

"I love you so much Jenny, thank you." He said.

"I love you too, Daddy." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

It was almost nine thirty by the time they got home. Jenny was fast asleep and slumped over in her seat. Callen carried her up to bed while Amy guided a half-asleep Ricky and Kristy up the stairs to bed. Once the kids were tucked in, Callen and Amy went in their room and talked while Callen packed. She fought the urge to cry as he zipped the bag and dropped it on the floor at the foot of the bed; then he crawled up to the head of the bed. Amy saw the look in his eye and laughed. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her to a laying position. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he laid his head on her chest.

Callen helped Amy with the kids before heading in to work. It was a tearful good bye; he hated leaving Amy and the kids even for a day. This operation could take months. He thought of everything he would miss as he drove into work. Feeling the baby move, the ultrasound, seeing her grow bigger and more beautiful, he would miss it all. By the time he got to work, he was an emotional wreck. They received one last briefing before heading to the airport for their flight.

Callen and Sam were sitting together, Kensi and Deeks across the aisle. He was going through his carry-on for something to read when Sam pulled the teddy bear out.

"Really G, aren't you a little bit too old for teddy bears." He laughed.

Callen snatched it away and stared at it for a minute. "We took the kids to Dave and Buster's last night. When I took Jenny over to redeem her tickets, she picked this and told me to keep it. Even checked the bag this morning to make sure I had it with me."

"That's sweet." Sam said. "Those kids love you so much."

"I love them too." He said looking out the window seeing nothing but clouds.

"Has Amy considered petitioning the courts to have Rick's rights taken? He is in jail and isn't supporting them. You could adopt them." Sam suggested.

"I've been thinking about it, but I don't think now is the right time to broach the subject with Amy. I don't want her stressing out too much." He said.

"After the baby comes, talk to her about it. They kids already call you Dad." Sam smiled.

Callen smiled, "Yeah they do, for almost a year now."

They finally landed in Serbia and headed to their hotel. Exhausted, he called Amy and the kids and went to bed. The next morning, they started working the case. There were several conference calls with Hetty, Nell and Eric passing on information. A week into the operation, Callen was the one to go undercover. His calls to Amy and the kids were few and far between, but he would ask Sam to call Amy to pass on his messages. Amy missed hearing his voice, but appreciated talking to Sam.

Michelle and her kid spent almost every weekend with them in Culver City. The kid appreciated the playmates and Amy love the adult interaction. The women would sit and talk for hours. January ended and February began, there was no sign of the guys coming home any time soon. The ladies planned a Valentine's Day surprise for the kids. Amy made heart-shaped cookies and little cakes. They loaded up on junk food and animated movies and had a huge slumber party.

Callen and Sam managed to call that evening, which was just the icing on the cake for the kids. Amy went out to the patio to talk to Callen for a few minutes. He wanted a play by play on everything that was happening with the pregnancy. When he asked if she was feeling the baby move yet, she paused, he knew that she had. They told each other how much they love and missed the other a hundred times before the conversation ended. Amy felt better, but missed him even more.

Monday was her four month check up. Michelle offered to go with her, but Amy said she was fine going by herself. She and Dr. Fagan sat and talked for the majority of the appointment. The doctor was pleased that there had been no problems and told her to keep up with whatever she was doing. Amy had cut back her runs to every other and was only running four miles. Dr. Fagan said it was alright, in light of the fact that her running partner was away. Amy was abnormally quiet with Callen absent. The doctor noticed immediately.

On the way home, she picked up lunch and sat in front of the TV feeding her face and took a nap until it was time to get Jenny. The afternoons and evenings were the longest. The kids had difficulties focusing on their homework and fought constantly. However, they did spend the time between dinner and bedtime together either watching TV, playing games or just talking. Mrs. Carter had gotten Jenny in to see the school counselor once a week, so the evenings that she saw the counselor, they'd talk about what was discussed. Ricky and Kristy would take the opportunity to talk about whatever was bothering them as well. It was always the same thing, they missed Callen.

Hetty had gotten in the habit of visiting with Amy and the kids once or twice a week. Occasionally, Eric or Nell would drop by after work to check on them as well. The kids loved having the three continue to come over. It showed them that they didn't come over just because of Callen, but for them as well. By the end of February, Nell and Eric had offered to watch all of the kids so Michelle and Amy could have a night out. They were so thankful for the break. It didn't matter what they did; be it dinner and a movie or more shopping, they were elated not to have the children in tow.

They decided on dinner. Nothing fancy, Amy had been craving Chinese food. Chow fun to be exact, so Michelle called around and found a restaurant that made both Chow Fun and Generals Chicken. Michelle and Amy laughed through the entire meal, about nothing in particular. They walked through downtown after dinner and got a cup of coffee before heading back to Amy's. All of the kids were passed out when they got home.

"Good lord, what did you do to them, drug them?" Amy said when she walked in and saw the kids scattered on the floor.

"Nope, just wore them out." Eric smiled.

"Do I dare ask how?" Michelle chimed in.

"They played the dance game with Kristy." Nell said.

The team was so close to making an arrest, it wasn't even funny. Callen wanted to get these guys so bad he could taste it. The things that he'd heard about and witnessed while undercover made his blood boil. He'd been in contact with Sam and was due to meet with him later that evening to discuss the plan for taking them down. Both knew that it was going to be very dangerous as this group was already responsible for fifty to a hundred deaths just since they'd arrived.

"Hey, where are you going?" he heard from behind him.

Callen turned around and smiled. "Met a woman, I'm going to go have some fun if you know what I mean."

The man laughed. "Ah, very good, enjoy. Hit it a couple times for me. Will you be back tonight or can we lock up the compound?"

Callen thought about it. "No, I'll be back. She's not worth spending the night with."

The man nodded and walked away. Callen turned towards the entrance of the building. "Really, I'm not worth spending the night with?" Sam said over the earwig. Callen laughed and waited until he'd walked out of the front gate before replying.

"Well, what can I say, you snore." He laughed.

Making sure he wasn't being followed, Callen made his way through the busy streets to the agreed upon location. Sam was leaning against the building with his arms folded across his chest. When Callen turned onto the alley, he immediately stood and knocked on the door beside him. It opened and the two went in. Kensi and Deeks were waiting and greeted him.

"So how are we going to do this?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but we've got to be quick about it. They're all armed to the hilt so your vests are a must. I think it would be best if it happened somewhere other than the compound where they can't get into the stash of weapons." He said sitting at the table.

"You mentioned that they're supposed to meet with one of the potential buyers, we could take them down before the buyer gets there. We've contacted Hetty about back-up and another team is en route. They should be here tomorrow morning." Kensi said.

"Good, we're going to need as much help as we can get." Callen said writing and address on a piece of paper. "This is the address where the meeting is supposed to take place. Check it out; see how we can set up. I want pictures." He told them.

"Got it." Deeks said.

"Should we try to take the buyer down too or just forget about him?" Kensi asked.

"Forget him. We want the dealers." Sam said looking at Callen.

He pulled the file that was on the table over to him and started telling them who all was going to attend the meeting and what kind of weapons they'd be carrying. Sam, Kensi and Deeks listened intently. After two hours, Callen looked at his watch. He stood and walked to the door, telling them to get with the other team as soon as they've been to the address.

As he walked the streets, he felt like he was being watched. He stopped to cross the street and looked around casually, but saw no one he recognized. When Callen walked through the door of the dormitory building, everyone looked at him. He had a bad feeling he'd been made, rushing to his room, he told Sam and went to bed. It was a restless night, he tossed and turned. Every noise he heard had him wide-eyed and watchful. When he emerged from his room the following morning, it continued. Everyone acted as the normally had, just watched him closely.

Sam, Kensi and Deeks had made it over to the abandoned building and took a look around. It was going to be sketchy trying to set up in here. Aside from several pillars in the center of the building for support, there was really no place to hide. Kensi spied the catwalk above their heads and suggested they staged there. Sam agreed and called Hetty on the way back to the cover house. The second team arrived shortly after two in the afternoon. Sam showed them the pictures from the building and it was agreed that they'd stage from the catwalks overhead and outside of the building. Sam, Kensi and Deeks would cover Callen inside while the other team would wait for Sam signal to enter the building. It seemed that the plan would go off without a problem.

Callen remained below the radar, thinking maybe everyone was watching him because of the story he gave about the woman. He truly hoped that's all it was. The day of the meeting had arrived. The two teams were in position when the motorcade arrived. The team outside reported Callen was riding in the second vehicle. Sam saw him as he exited the vehicle. Callen looked around, but didn't see anyone and got worried. Next thing Callen knew, he was being shoved forward, landing hard on his hands and knees. The leader of the group aimed a pistol at him and fired. Callen flinched when he was pelted with tiny shards of concrete.

Sam signaled for the second team to enter the building immediately, the doors swung open and chaos ensued. In the spray of bullets and dust, Sam lost sight of Callen. Kensi and Deeks made their way into the thick of the fire fight while Sam searched for Callen. When the shooting ceased, those who weren't dead were taken into custody and Callen was nowhere to be found. As they surveyed the situation, they heard gunshots out behind the building and went running.

With weapons drawn, Kensi, Sam and Deeks made their way outside to find Callen laying face down in the ground in a pool of blood. The man who'd shot him had yet to see them, they moved in. Another round of gunshots and he was down. Kensi and Deeks secured his weapon and arrested him while Sam went to Callen's side.

He was barely breathing and coughing blood. Sam tried to look him over, rolling him onto his side, Callen yelped in pain. "G. Shit where all are you hit?"

Callen couldn't move anything but his eyes. Sam gently placed his hand on Callen's back and pulled back a bloody hand. He radioed for the team to get an ambulance. Fifteen minutes later, they heard the emergency response. Sam was on the phone with Hetty when they arrived. Kensi and Deeks told the paramedics what happened. They were soaked with blood after trying to keep him from bleeding out. Callen was carefully loaded onto the stretcher, loaded into the ambulance and taken to the nearest hospital. By the time the rest of the team arrived at the hospital, Callen was in surgery. They sat in the waiting room not knowing anything.


	30. Chapter 30

Callen had been gone almost a month, Amy had gone to her appointment alone and was given another appointment in a month's time. Callen called as often as he could, but it would be days before they heard from him. Amy worried terribly on the days that they didn't talk. The next OB appointment passed and Callen still wasn't back. They scheduled the big ultrasound for mid-April. Michelle promised that she would go with Amy if Callen wasn't back by then.

The week following Amy's birthday, Michelle and Amy had agreed to get together for some retail therapy. Amy had a horrible nagging feeling when she went to bed the night before. When she woke the next morning, it was even worse. She silently panicked and said many prayers as she got the kids up and ready for school, never once saying anything to alarm the kids. The older two left, on the bus then she quickly drove Jenny and dropped her off before coming home and showering. As she washed her belly, she watched the baby move and contorted beneath the mesh sponge. She saw the baby's foot protruding through her thinned shin. She smiled and wished Callen had been there to see and feel it. She dressed and had one last cup of coffee before heading out to meet Michelle.

The two were shopping for more maternity clothes when she got Sam's call.

"Amy, where are you?" Sam asked panicked and breathless, Amy looked at Michelle.

"Michelle and I are shopping." She told him.

"Let me talk to Michelle really quick." He ordered. She handed the phone to Michelle and watched her smiled fade. Her heart sank and she knew something had happened.

Michelle turned quickly and walked a few feet away. "Oh my god Sam, so do you want me to tell her or do you?"

Amy's mind went blank and felt like everything was closing in on her. The world began to spin out of control and everything went black. Michelle heard her hit the ground and yelled for someone to call an ambulance. Quickly, she got the rest of the information she needed to pass on from Sam and hung up, calling the OB immediately.

Amy woke-up moments later, as the EMT's arrived and started checking her over, she saw Michelle and the pained look on her face.

"I'm fine." She said, but no one listened. "I'm fine, I'm fine get off me. Michelle what happened, its Callen isn't it?"

The EMT looked back at Michelle, she asked for a moment and they stepped away. She sat on her knees and explained what happened. "They were trying to apprehend their suspect when a fire fight broke out, no one knew that Callen's cover had been compromised, he was shot multiple times. Once they get him stabilized, they're transferring him to Germany, to the hospital near Ramstein Air Force base. After they perform a few more surgeries and is stable, they'll transfer him back to the states."

Amy's face went pale, "How bad is he hurt?"

"Sam said there was extensive damage done to his spleen, one of his lungs and a bullet grazed his spine." She said softly. "Sam will call as soon as he's out of surgery. There's a lot of swelling along the spinal column, they're hoping it goes down."

"There's a chance he will be paralyzed." she said calmly, still reeling from the news.

"Dr. Fagan wants to see you, so we're going to go ahead and have the EMT's take you to the hospital; she said she'll meet us there." Michelle said standing and letting the EMTs return to Amy's side.

Amy was numb, she felt nothing and heard nothing, but was lost in her thoughts. She saw Michelle walking with her out to the ambulance, but didn't see her again until she arrived at the hospital. Dr. Fagan was waiting when they brought her into the ER. Michelle came in as Dr. Fagan was looking her over.

"Is she alright?' she asked after a few moments of watching.

"Yes, she just fainted. Everything is normal. What happened?" she asked walking out of the room with Michelle by her side.

Amy just laid there on the gurney thinking about Callen.

When Michelle and Dr. Fagan returned, Dr. Fagan began talking. "Amy, I know you want to go to be with your husband, but I cannot allow you to travel. You haven't had any problems so far and I want to keep it that way. I think the stress of flying and then your husband's condition might just throw you into labor. You wouldn't want your husband feeling responsible if something happened to either you or the baby. I know Mrs. Hanna's husband will keep you well informed. We'll keep you for another hour or so and then send you home." She said.

Amy fought the tears; she couldn't believe they were keeping her from going to see Callen. "But what if something happens and."

"Amy, his injuries are life threatening, yes, but we know Callen. Sam said he'd call everyday to let us know how Callen's doing. I'm sure Sam can set it up so you two can Skype." Michelle said knowing it was killing Amy.

"Fine." She said through her tears, hugging her belly.

Sam, Kensi and Deeks sat in the rundown waiting room, praying for some kind of word on Callen. The waiting was excruciating, Sam was angry that no one would tell them anything. Finally, after three hours the doctor and a translator walked out.

"We were able to retrieve the bullets and repair most of the damage. We aren't sure if the swelling in his spine will go down. He will be in recovery for a few hours before he's transferred to a room. We're going to keep him in a medically induced coma for a few days to see if the swelling goes down. You can see him, when he's in a room. Please do not try to move his appendages." The translator said.

As soon as they walked away, Sam was on the phone with Hetty, then Michelle. "How's Amy?"

"She's fine; we're back at the house resting. I've got our kids with the neighbors. I'm going to take Amy down to our house tomorrow to pick up the younger ones and then we'll be up here for a couple days. Next week is Spring Break so we'll be up here then too." She told him.

"Callen's out of surgery." He said and explained what the doctor had said.

"Is he okay? How soon do you think they'll transfer him back to the states?" she asked.

"I don't know. We're hoping to see him transferred to Ramstein within a week." he said

Michelle looked over the back of the couch at Amy, curled up on the couch under a blanket with the dog at her chest. "Sooner, I hope."

Hetty allowed Nell and Eric to watch the kids while Michelle and Amy went to her ultrasound. It took all of Amy strength to pull herself from the bed where she'd been since the day after she heard about Callen. She didn't want to go to the appointment without him. Michelle had to call Carole to talk to Amy and convince her to go. Once she was showered and dressed, she went downstairs to all of the kids. She was emotional and weepy. Dr. Fagan's nurse called them back and put them in the ultrasound room instead of one of the regular exam rooms. Amy was fighting the tears.

"Good morning Amy, Mrs. Hanna how are the two of you this morning?" Dr Fagan asked when she walked in.

"Doing fairly well." Michelle said and frowned, pointing at Amy.

"How's your husband, Amy?" she asked.

Amy sighed, "He survived the surgery, and he was in a medically induced coma until yesterday. They're planning on transferring him to Germany sometime this week or next. He has no mobility or feeling in his legs, but feels pins and needles in his fingertips. Michelle's husband said that he was able to move his fingers. Slowly, things are progressing, but we don't know at this point if he'll ever walk again."

"Honestly Amy, those are very good signs. I have no doubt that he'll make a full recovery and I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. My husband is a neurologist at UCLA, as soon as I got home last week, I picked his brain and your husband is progressing sooner than we expected. Do you know by chance where he's going to be transferred to here in the states? My husband is very interested in taking him on as a patient." She said smiling.

Amy smiled, truly smiled for the first time in a week. "I would love for your husband to be a part of Callen's recovery. I trust you explicitly."

"Very good. See what you can do about having him sent to UCLA, John is pretty far up in the food chain over there, so he should be able to take the case without much of a problem." She smiled. "Now, let's get down to business. You know that the purpose of the ultrasound isn't just to check for the sex of the baby, but to make sure that all of the baby's organs are developing as they should. So we're going to look at that and take some measurements before we try to see what's hiding between that baby's legs. If I remember, you don't want to know that sex, you'd like me to write it down for Mrs. Hanna?" she said as she pulled the machine closer to the table.

"Yes, please. We don't want to know the sex of the baby until he or she is born." Amy said.

Dr. Fagan pulled up the gown Amy was wearing and squirted the warm gel across her belly. Then took the wand and started looking at the baby. She mentioned several times that everything looked good before she finished with her measurements. Finally, she started looking for the baby's gender. Amy tried not to look, but couldn't resist. She smiled ear to ear when she saw it. The doctor typed something in the machine and continued taking pictures. When they were done, she printed all of the pictures, cut the one that showed the sex of the baby. Put it in an envelope and handed it to Michelle.

Once Amy was cleaned off, she was able to get dressed. She made an appointment for mid-May and very happily walked out to the car.

"You saw it didn't you?" Michelle asked.

Amy looked at her and gave her a timid smile. "I did, I couldn't resist."

"Well, I guess Callen will be the only one surprised." She laughed.

"No, you, the doctor and I will be the only ones who know until it's born. It's just going to be hard not to let it slip out in conversation." Amy said.

"Do you think they'll be happy?" Michelle asked as she walked to the passenger side of the Mustang.

Amy nodded, "Oh yes, they definitely will."

It was a month before Callen returned back to the states. Amy's parents came down to help prep for his return to the house. Her father built a wheelchair ramp up to the front door so they could get him in and out of the house easily and had the building inspector out to approve it. Carole helped Michelle, Amy, Hetty, Nell and Kristy move all of Callen and Amy's clothes into the guest room downstairs. The queen sized bed had been pushed against the wall to accommodate a hospital bed if needed. Since no one knew how mobile Callen was going to be when he got home, they got a transfer bench and shower chair for the adjoining bathroom. Amy was two months to her due date and absolutely huge. At her Mom's insistence, she sat on the bed and directed the others. She'd had no complications thus far and everyone was doing what they could to keep it that way.

It was horrible not being able to see Callen while he was in the hospital overseas, Dr. Fagan forbid her from travelling for fear the stress would induce labor or other problems. Finally, in early May, Callen was transferred to UCLA Medical center. Amy and the kids were waiting just inside the door leading to the Hilo pad. Sam and Michelle joined them just minutes before the medi-flight landed. Still on a gurney and heavily medicated, they wheeled him into the hospital.

He saw Sam immediately and offered a sleepy smile. The kids walked cautiously over to his side, all three were crying at the sight of him. Amy walked up behind them and smiled at her husband. Callen's eyes filled with tears as he reached for her. She's never been so happy to see him move his arms in her life. She pushed past the kids and awkwardly leaned over to kiss him. He rubbed her belly and smiled.

"How are you two doing?" he asked weakly.

"We're doing good, worried about you." She said through her tears.

They walked with him to his room and waited outside while he got situated. Amy was comforting the kids who were still crying. The doctor walked up and addressed Amy.

"Mrs. Callen, I'd like to talk you about your husband's condition and prognosis." He said.

Sam and Michelle gathered the kids while Amy walked away with the doctor. "How bad is it?"

"He's healing nicely, however there is still swelling in his spine. As you can see, he can move upper extremities, but still cannot move his legs. We're hoping that the swelling will reduce in the coming weeks, if not he will be paralyzed from the waist down. We've already started therapy to keep the legs from atrophying too much. It seems the more we work with him, the more the swelling goes down. We'll probably keep him here for a couple weeks before we transfer him to a rehabilitation facility. Is your home handicap accessible?" He asked.

"My father put a wheelchair ramp in and we've moved our clothing and such to a downstairs bedroom. Since we didn't know what condition he'd be in when he finally came home, we also got a transfer bench and shower chair for him." She said.

The doctor smiled. "Very good, you're well prepared. We're hoping with intensive physical therapy that he will be more mobile by the time he comes home. When are you due, I can't remember what my wife told me?"

"The baby's due in mid-July. I know I can't do any of the lifting by myself, but I can at least bathe him. What about his lung?" she asked.

"His lung is healing nicely. We aren't expecting any setbacks and it should completely heal. He will have some shortness of breath until then and will have to be careful not to over-do it." He said.

"How long before he can return to work after he regains the use of his legs?" she asked knowing Callen would want to get back as soon as possible.

"We aren't sure. It could be six months to a year before he can return to full duty; maybe even longer." He said.

"He's not going to like that at all." She said as Hetty joined the conversation. The doctor reiterated everything he'd just told Amy. Hetty stood there silent, listening to them talk.

"He will have to walk with crutches and or a cane until he's strong enough to walk on his own." The doctor said.

Amy looked at Hetty and back to the doctor. "In your honest opinion, do you see him making a full recovery?"

The doctor sighed and looked at the women. "This very well could be a career ending injury. We're just a month into the recovery process; it's just too soon to know."

"That's not an answer; I want your honest opinion, please." Amy insisted.

"Mrs. Callen, your husband is healthy in spite of the injuries. He seems very determined to make a full recovery. It all depends on him and how badly he wants it and how hard he's willing to work to get it. It's not going to be easy, by any means. But yes, I think he will be walking again within a year." He smiled.

"Alright, thank you. Maybe Callen and the baby will be learning to walk at the same time." She smiled.

"That could be." He smiled. "Take care of yourself, Mrs. Callen. He's going to need you. Ms. Lange if he's forced to work from home for a while, will you be able to accommodate him?"

"He will only be allowed to work on a consulting basis until he can come into the office and then he won't be able to do any field work until he'd been release by you or another physician." She said.

"The more you can involve him in the normal day to day work; I feel it would help his recovery. Just don't isolate him and turn your backs on him." The doctor said.

"We could never do that to Mr. Callen, he's far too valuable to his team." Hetty told him.

"Alright, let me to have a look at him and then you can see him." The doctor said shaking their hands before he walked to Callen's room and went in.

Hetty and Amy rejoined the group who now included Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric. Amy spoke to the kids, telling them that the doctor said it was going to be a while, but that Callen would recover fully. They were only slightly soothed by the news. Eric and Ricky struck up a conversation about a new game that was coming out, Nell and Kensi was talking with Kristy and Jenny. The doctor appeared in the doorway and told Amy Callen wanted to talk to her.

She took a deep breath before walking into the room. He was sitting up smiling at her. "I can't believe how big you've gotten."

"I feel so fat and huge." She laughed as she walked to his bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"You're anything but fat; huge yes, but you're pregnant. I'm frustrated. I'm sorry about all of this." He said trying to move himself over so she could sit on the bed with him.

"Honey, it's ok, I don't think the three of us are going to fit on the bed." She laughed resting her stomach on the bed. "Why are you apologizing, please don't, it's just something that happened. Look at everything else we've gotten through, we can get through this too."

Callen placed his hand on her belly and rubbed, immediately, he felt the baby move. Amy laughed at the expression on his face. "Wow, I think we may have a soccer player in there."

"Oh yes, the baby is very active." She smiled leaving over resting her head on his shoulder. "I've missed you."

Callen put his arm around her and pulled her as close as her belly would allow. "I've missed you too."

"Did the doctor talk to you about your recovery?" she asked hesitantly.

"He did. It looks like the baby and I may be learning to walk at the same time." He smiled warmly.

Lord, she missed looking into his bright blue eyes. She kissed him. "I think it would be quite an accomplishment to see the two of you taking your first steps together."

"I promise you that I will recover from this and we will live out the rest of our lives together." He smiled, kissing her.

"I have complete and total faith in you, Callen and I'll be there every step along the way. It's going to be hard and you're not going to be able to do field work for a while, but Hetty said you can work from home on a consulting basis until you can physically go in to the office." She told him.

"If it's the best I can get right now, I have to be happy with it. It's going to be so hard not going in and making sure my team is alright." He said.

"The kids really want to talk to you, do you want me to get them?" she asked as she started to walk away, but Callen pulled her back.

"I want to see them too, but I want a few more minutes with you first." He said brushing his thumb across her cheek.

She smiled at him and kissed him long and hard. Callen wanted so much to pull her onto the bed, but knew he didn't have the strength for it. He was content to just kiss her the way he was. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. They sat like that for another ten or fifteen minutes, until Callen asked to see the kids.

They were so happy to be able to see him. Jenny climbed up on the bed and say next to him. Ricky and Kristy each took turns sitting on the other side. They left the door open so the rest of the team could talk to them.

"So were you guys good for your Mom?" Callen asked.

"We had out moments, but overall, I think we were." Ricky said.

Callen and Amy both laughed at his response, "Well, at least you were honest." Callen said.

"I missed you, Daddy." Jenny said. "I told my teacher all about how you got hurt trying to stop the bad guys."

Callen looked to Amy. "Really, what did we talk about when it came to telling everyone what I do?"

"I know, but I was so upset and Mrs. Carter wanted to know why I was crying. I was scared. Mommy talked to her." She said shyly.

"I just told her the bare minimum. Michelle was there, too." Amy told him.

"Alright, no more loose lips little one." Callen said tickling Jenny. "I missed your laugh."

"So it looks like I'm going to be here a couple weeks. Are you guys going to come keep me company after school? You guys can do your homework and I'll help you." He said looking at Amy.

Amy leaned past Ricky, "I'm sure we can make that happen."

"Oh, did Mom tell you that you two are going to be sleeping downstairs until you're better?" Kristy asked.

Callen looked over at Amy. "Please tell me you had help?"

"I did, my parents came down. Dad built a wheel chair ramp up to the front door. Mom, Kristy, Michelle, Nell and Hetty moved all of our clothes and everything we'll need to the guest room. They wouldn't let me do anything but sit on the bed and eat." She laughed.

"Thank you Michelle. Knowing you've been there to help Amy made things so much easier on me." He said.

"You're very welcome, Callen. You just focus on getting better, now." Michelle told him.

Callen came home two weeks later; Amy struggled hushing him up the ramp to the front door. She knew it would be easier after she had the baby. Once they were in the house, Callen could wheel himself around the downstairs without a problem. He was so happy to be home, but wished he wasn't in the condition he was in. He felt so restricted by the chair and vowed he wouldn't be in it for very long. It hurt to realize he no longer could go upstairs to spend time with the kids. Amy was bringing more of his stuff in the house and found him sitting at the base of the stairs looking up at them.

"One thing at a time." Amy said wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Callen rested his head against her chest and let out a ragged breath. "It's going to take some getting used to. I'm still so sorry, Amy."

Amy walked around to the front of the chair. "Honey, stop apologizing. Shit happens; it just seems to happen quite frequently for us."

Callen kissed her stomach before pulling her onto his lap. "It does always seem to happen to us, doesn't it?"

Amy brushed his hair back with her fingers. "But we're still together and stronger for it. We will get through this. Just promise me that you won't be so stubborn that you start doing stuff on your own once you're more mobile."

Callen laughed and shook his head. "You know me too well. I will try to let others help me. When are the therapists supposed to start coming?"

"Tomorrow, the occupational therapist comes at ten, physical therapist comes at eleven." She told him.

"Alright, so what do you want to do until we go get Jenny?" He asked with an evil grin.

Amy laughed as he pinched her rear when she got off his lap. "Not what you're thinking about. Remember, the doctor said wait a while. We will probably wind up waiting until after I've had the baby."

"No we will not be waiting the twelve weeks until you're released by Dr. Fagan." Callen announced as there was a knock at the door. Callen wheeled around to find Sam, Kensi and Deeks standing on the other side of the screen door. "Hey guys, come one in."

Once they were in the house, they walked over to the table and sat down. Sam was nice enough to push Callen over. The five sat there talking, mostly about the plan for Callen's recovery and the many therapists that will be coming out to the house until he was strong enough to go to the various facilities. They also told him that Sam was the new temporary team lead and that they would be getting a new member until Callen was released for field work. No one had any idea who the new member would be.

Amy was hungry; so she made herself a peanut butter sandwich and offered the others something as well. No one wanted anything. Amy decided that she'd let them talk about work for a while and went in to lay down. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but could hear the murmur of their voices as she drifted off to sleep.

"How do you think she's holding up?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know my Neurologist is Dr. Fagan's husband. He said she didn't take the initial news well, fainted in the middle of the department store. She's had none of the complications she had with the other three kids. We're on the downhill run with the pregnancy, month and a half to go." Callen smiled. "By this time with the other three she'd already been in labor at least once and was on bed rest."

Kensi smiled as did Sam and Deeks. "You nervous about the baby?"

"I wasn't until this happened." He said gesturing towards the wheel chair. "How am I supposed to help her? I can barely help myself."

"You can sit and feed the baby, change diapers, give him or her a bath. You can do more than you think you can, G." Sam said.

"I hope so," he said shaking his head.

"You will, Callen." Kensi agreed. "The stronger you get, the more you'll be able to do."

"I know I can't even stand long enough to help her during the delivery." He said trying not to complain.

"G, it's a month and a half away. Give yourself some time, work with the therapists." Sam told him.

Callen looked at the clock on the wall and realized he needed to go get Jenny. Then it hit him, he couldn't drive. This was going to take more than just a little getting used to. He wheeled himself away from the table and down the hall to their room. Amy was asleep, not wanting to wake her; he went back into the kitchen. "Hey Sam, can you drive me over to the school so I can pick-up Jenny?"

"Sure, in the van or do you want to take the Challenger?" Sam asked.

"Probably the van, we can put the wheel chair in the back." He said wheeling himself towards the door.

Sam helped Callen into the van and put the wheelchair in the trunk. Amy came walking out of the bedroom as they were pulling out of the driveway. Kensi said that Sam had taken Callen so they didn't have to wake her up. She appreciated it, but had set her alarm in case she'd fallen asleep. Amy sat at the table and talked with Kensi and Deeks until they got back.

"So are you doing okay?" Deeks asked.

"I am actually, so thankful Callen's finally home." She smiled warmly.

"Look, if you need anything, both of us are just a phone call away." He said.

"I know and I definitely appreciate it. I'm sure we will be calling you." She said.

"If you want, one of us can spend the night here with you for a while." Kensi offered.

"Let me talk to Callen about that before I agree to it. I would appreciate the help. I'm back to the dead-tired part of the pregnancy. Just getting myself up so I can get the kids up for school has been so hard. I come home and fall asleep after I drop Jenny off. I haven't been running in weeks." She said.

"We will help you with anything you need, even if it's going grocery shopping." Kensi said.

"Thank you. I don't know what we'd do without you guys. You've been great the last couple years." Amy told them and truly meant it.

"Ok, I'm dying to know." Deeks said. "What are you having, a boy or a girl?"

Amy laughed. "What would you do if I told you one of each?"

Kensi and Deeks looked at each other in disbelief. "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking." Kensi said.

"Yes, I'm joking. I don't know what we're having. If you really want to know, you'll have to ask Michelle." Amy told them.

Callen and Sam pulled in the driveway; Jenny hopped out and opened the trunk for Sam. Amy could see Callen in the front seat waiting, frustrated. She knew this was going to be hard for him and wished there was something she could do to make it easier. Once Callen was in the chair, he put Jenny on his lap while Sam did wheelies and spun them around. Jenny screamed and laughed wildly. Ricky and Kristy came walking up the street and waited for their turn. Thirty minutes later, Sam finally brought them in the house. Callen was smiling; he could still play with the kids. While the kids did their homework, Amy mentioned getting a basketball hoop. It was something Callen could do with all of the kids. Sam agreed he would help put it up above the garage. Callen agreed and looked forward to it.

Instead of making dinner, Amy opted for having something delivered. Sam, Kensi and Deeks headed back to the office, but Sam said he'd be back later. The kids needed very little help with their homework. There was only a few days left of school. Kristy's class was going to start practicing for graduation next week. Amy had planned on having a party for her afterwards and already talked to Hetty about letting everyone off providing they don't have a case. She agreed and Nell, Kensi and Michelle offered to help decorate and make food. Callen had no idea about the party nor did he know exactly when the ceremony was.

Callen went in around seven and lay down. He was able to get himself out of the chair and in bed. Amy walked in expecting to have to get Marty or Kensi to help. Callen was leaning against a pillow with his head resting on his arms, smiling at her. Amy walked over smiling and kissed him. She was so thankful to see he'd been able to do it himself, though she did worry that he'd hurt himself. Kensi and Deeks followed her in and said good night. Kensi offered to stay if they wanted her to in case Amy needed the help. Callen thanked her, but declined. Amy walked them out and thanked them for coming over. Kensi said that she'd be back over tomorrow night after work.

The kids turned off the TV in the living room and came into the guest room to spend some time with Amy and Callen before bedtime. Since Callen didn't need the hospital bed, the queen was moved back into the middle of the room. Callen and Amy sat with Jenny behind them, Ricky at their feet and Kristy sat in the chair next to Callen. When bedtime rolled around, the kids gave their goodnights and went upstairs. Kristy told them that she'd make sure they got in bed. Twenty minutes later, Amy went up and checked to find all three kids asleep. She went back downstairs to spend some time alone with Callen. Both of them were so tired that they fell asleep almost immediately.


	31. Chapter 31

As the weeks passed, Callen was becoming stronger and used the chair less. He was determined to be walking by the time the baby was born so he could help Amy as much as possible and had even made a couple trips upstairs to surprise the kids. June passed quickly, Kristy's graduation, their first Anniversary and the baby shower happened pretty much all at once. Kristy's graduation party was on a Friday, the shower was the following day and their Anniversary the next. Now the beginning of July, they were trying to plan something for Kristy's birthday and the fourth of July.

All Amy wanted to do was sleep. Kristy offered to forego a party this year since no one was really in the condition to cook and decorate and everything else. Amy greatly appreciated it and promised to make up for it as soon as the baby was born. When Amy didn't have the energy to get out of bed, the family came to her. They'd watch TV, even ate in the bedroom with her.

Dr. Fagan scheduled appointments every week, and each week she was pleasantly surprised to have not gotten a call from Labor and Delivery or see her name still on her schedule. Callen was back to attending all of her appointments, this was the first appointment that he would attend on crutches. The entire office staff was so excited when they walked in. Dr. Fagan herself brought them back to the exam room. Amy quickly climbed up on the exam table.

"So how are you feeling?" She asked Amy.

"I'm absolutely miserable." She said with a smile, actually she wasn't feeling bad. "Everything after thirty-six weeks is new to me."

"You're now thirty-eight weeks. So any time after this is considered full-term. Have you had any contractions or anything yet?" Dr. Fagan asked.

"Nothing, my back really doesn't even hurt. This had been such a different pregnancy and still no morning sickness." Amy said.

"I think it has a lot to do with your activity level and how much of a weight difference between now and your last pregnancy. Well, I'll see you next week unless this little one decides to make an appearance." She said rubbing the belly and laughed as the baby chased her hand.

Once Callen and Amy got home, she decided to sit on the porch enjoying watching the kids play. Callen joined her. They cuddled on the loveseat for hours watching the kids and her belly. Amy had gotten in the habit during her second trimester to cook huge batches of food and freeze entire meals. Callen had run in and pulled something out of the freezer not really knowing what it was. He figured they all could use the surprise. It turned out to be baked rigatoni which went over very well.

Without fail, someone was always coming over to check on them. Whoever's turn it was that night would call ahead to see if anything was needed? This lasted until the week before her due date when Joe and Carole arrived. In spite of Carole's health, she made sure that Callen and Amy didn't lift a finger. Callen, Joe and Ricky were busy putting the baby's crib together while Carole was making dinner. Amy enjoyed having her parent's there, but felt useless. When the crib was finished, Callen very proudly led her into the bedroom to show her the crib. She loved it and needed to remember to thank Hetty again for buying the crib. Amy and Callen sat on the edge of the bed staring at the crib, less than two weeks. She was a little upset that just the bare mattress laid there, but they had agreed not to find out what they were having.

Callen, Amy and her parents sat at the table talking while they waited for dinner to cook. The kids were in and out getting snacks and drinks. Suddenly Amy facial expression changed. Callen immediately asked what was wrong.

"I think you got the crib put together at the right time." She said as the contraction subsided.

Callen's expression lightened, "Seriously, that was a contraction? How far apart are they?"

"Calm down, Honey that was just the first one. Dr. Fagan said she didn't want to hear from us until they were two minutes apart or my water broke." Amy said looking at the time on her phone.

Like clockwork, the contractions went from ten minutes, to seven minutes, to five minutes, to three minutes over five hours. At ten o'clock, Callen called Dr. Fagan's service, Labor and Deliver and Michelle before they headed to the hospital. Kristy grabbed her bag and put it in the trunk. Callen helped Amy out to the van and got her in the front seat. Carole said she'd drive, so Callen sat behind her so he could keep an eye on Amy. Joe and Jenny were the last ones out of the house.

It felt to Amy like her mother hit every bump and pothole, or were stopped by every red light. By the time they arrived at the hospital, the contractions were two minutes apart. Callen and Amy went up to L & D immediately and met with Dr. Fagan. Once Amy was situated in one of the delivery suites, the doctor came back in to see how far along she was with her labor. She was seven centimeters dilated and they were discussing an epidural when Amy's water broke. Within minutes, she was nine centimeters and the baby was crowning.

Dr. Fagan ran to the phone in the suite and called for assistance. One of the nurses ran in and started to disassemble the bed. Amy was begging to push by the time they were done. With Callen at her head, she began pushing. After thirty minutes, Callen looked down to see the baby's face. On the next contraction, Amy gave it everything she had and the baby was born.

"Mom, Dad you've got a boy!" Dr. Fagan said as she put the baby on Amy's chest. Both parents were crying.

"Hey there little Sam." Callen said after kissing Amy. "He's adorable."

"Ricky's going to be so happy." Amy smiled through her tears.

"Alright, Daddy would you like to cut the umbilical cord?" The doctor asked.

"Of course." He said taking the scissors, cutting between the two clips.

The baby was handed off to one of the nurses who calculated his Apgar score. Callen stood next to the nurse and watched; every now and then he'd look back at Amy just beaming as he looked down on his son. Amy was so thankful to have finally carried to term. Callen and the baby went to the nursery for his first bath and some blood tests. When they returned, Callen pushed his crib into the room.

"Here we are Mommy, all clean and very hungry." Callen said, lifting the baby up and passing him carefully to Amy. He watched as Amy put the baby to her breast and the he instinctively latched on. "You know little man; Daddy likes those too, so you're going to have to share."

Amy laughed, "Sorry Daddy, you're cut off for a while."

"Should I go tell everyone?" Callen asked.

"Sure." She said as Callen leaned in and kissed her, then the baby.

It was just after midnight and Callen didn't know who all had made it to the hospital. He walked down the hall to the waiting room, everyone was there. Sam, Michelle, Kensi, Deeks, Nell, Eric, Hetty… "Ladies and Gentleman, we have a baby…" He paused.

"Yes, what is it?" Jenny yelled.

"You miss Jenny have a baby brother." He said kneeling in front of her.

The room filled with cheers. Michelle and Carole went back to see Amy and the baby. They were so excited, Amy was just finishing burping the baby then they walked in. She turned him around so they could see him. Beautiful, he had Callen's bright blue eyes and their blonde hair, Amy's lips and Callen's nose. Amy counted ten fingers and ten toes. He was absolutely perfect.

"How much did he weigh?" Carole asked.

"I think it was seven pounds ten ounces." Amy smiled as she looked at the baby.

Callen came back into the room with Jenny in his arms and Ricky and Kristy following behind. "Guys, I'd like to introduce you to your brother, Samuel George."

"Aw, he's so cute." Jenny said looking from Amy to Callen.

"He really is." Kristy agreed.

The room was full of visitors at every moment until they were ushered out by the nursing staff. Callen made it a point to take pictures of everyone either holding the baby or around his bed. Callen was definitely the proud papa. He was going to stay with Amy while Carole and Joe took the other three home. Amy was admiring 'Little Sam' when he walked back into the room. He sat on the bed with Amy playing with the baby's fingers. Amy handed him the baby. Callen moved over to the arm chair and watched the baby squirm in his hands.

"God, I can't believe this is want was inside you. We make pretty cute kids, don't we." He smiled up at her.

"We do. He looks good in your arms." She smiled.

Callen just shook his head, "I can't believe he's finally here. How are you feeling?"

"Actually not too bad, since I didn't have the epidural, I can get up and walk around. I didn't tear which surprised me since he's the biggest of the four." She said smiling as Little Sam yawned and stretched in Callen's hands.

Callen was giving the baby Eskimo kisses when the baby started sucking on his nose. "Uh-oh, I think he's hungry again."

"He's not getting anything but Colostrum until my milk comes in, but it's the best stuff for him. It has all the anti-bodies and good stuff in it." She said taking the baby from Callen.

"I love the little noises he makes when he eats." Callen said leaning over the bed watching. "Does it hurt?"

"Not right now, but the older he gets the more problems can happen." She said watching the baby.

"Like what." He asked worried.

"Calm down, it's nothing serious, just chapped, cracked nipples. Then when he gets teeth, he'll start biting. Oh, we need to talk to someone about renting a breast pump. They should send us home with the number for La Leche League; they should be able to tell us where we can rent one." Amy said.

"Why don't we buy one? I've seen them at a couple of the stores." He asked rubbing the baby's cheek.

"I only use one kind, the others are junk." She said kissing Callen and then the baby.

"I wonder how the dog and cat are going to react." Callen asked.

"We didn't have the dog when Jenny was born, but the cat wrapped her tail around her head when I was nursing, slept in the bassinet and crib with her and she is the most tolerant of Jenny out of all the kids.

Little Sam fell asleep as Amy burped him, so he kissed him and passed him off to Callen so he could put him in bed. Knowing he'd be awake in another hour or two, she and Callen fell asleep. The baby gave them three hours before he woke up hungry again. Callen pulled himself out of the recliner and handed her the baby. She gave him several tiny kisses on his little cheeks before she fed him. He smelled so good. There was something about a newborn that smelled so good. Amy smelled the foul smell coming from his diaper, and changed him quickly. Callen stood over her shoulder watching. The baby shook, shivered and screamed at the cold wipes, Callen suggested getting a wipe warmer for the house. Amy agreed.

Once the little one was clean, swaddled and warm again Amy fed him. He was ravenously hungry; Amy hoped her milk came in soon. She felt horrible that the baby wasn't getting very much. Callen mentioned supplementing with formula until her milk came in and she agreed to talk to the nursery about it when they came to check on the baby. Until then, she'd continue as she was doing. He seemed to be doing fine, most babies lost a little bit of weight after birth anyway.

Their two days in the hospital went fast. Before they knew it, Sammy was dressed in the little skull onesie and pant set Abby has sent them with the little matching hat, strapped into his carrier, sitting on Amy's lap as Callen wheeled her out to the van and the kids followed close behind. Amy was looking forward to going home and seeing the baby's bedding in the crib. Sam, Michelle and their kids were waiting at the house when they arrived. Callen using only one crutch helped Amy into the house while Sam brought his namesake and God-son in the house. It was so cute to see Sam holding the little tiny baby. Amy told him that it was contagious as he kissed the baby's cheek.

Callen and Amy were very happy. More baby gifts had arrived, including some from Hawaii. There were flowers and balloons on the table from Amy's brother and sister, and other friends and neighbors. Amy was sitting on the couch with Jenny when the doorbell rang. Callen answered; more flowers he thought until Kensi popped out from behind the bouquet. She came in and immediately wanted to hold the baby, but Sam refused to give him up. Kensi pouted on the couch until Sam handed the baby over.

The afternoon was full of visitors, Nell and Eric, Deeks, Hetty. Amy's milk had finally come in, so the baby was only eating every two to two and a half hours. Carole was able to find a company that they could rent a pump from and left to pick it up. Soon, Amy was pumping and storing the milk so Callen could feed the baby too. As the week passed, Amy's parents were scheduled to leave. They settled into a nice routine with the baby. Amy would feed the baby and when he woke again, Callen fed him while Amy pumped, and then would feed him the next time he woke-up. Everyone enjoyed having him around until he screamed in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Callen and Amy were still downstairs so Sammy didn't wake the kids up too often.

Callen was working as hard as ever with his physical therapy, while he loved staying home to help Amy with the kids; he needed to get back to work. His progress far exceeded the doctor's expectations. Where the doctor's anticipated he'd walk within six to nine months, he was well on his way within three. Callen and Hetty discussed him returning to the office, but she was still hesitant to allow it. She feared that he'd sneak off during one of the cases with his team, not that Sam would allow that. Finally after talking to the doctor, she gave him a date for his return. When Kristy, Ricky and Jenny returned to school in August, he would be allowed to return to work, but had to assist from Ops until released to full duty. He agreed.

Amy could handle the agreement as well. The kid didn't go back to school for almost a month, she'd settle into a better routine by then. Hopefully the baby would get into the habit of sleeping more at night than during the day. Sammy had his first doctor's appointment and received a clean bill of health and had even gained a pound. The same week, Amy scheduled the kid's physicals for school. Kristy was going into high school and needed several vaccinations, as did Ricky for the seventh grade.

Once again, they went shopping for school clothes. It cost even than the year before, both Kristy and Ricky needed shoes specifically for PE and a PE uniform, both of which had to be purchased at the school. Kristy wanting to be fashionable wanted only the best and most expensive, brand name clothing. Finally, Callen and Amy had to call her on it. They bought her some of the couture clothing she wanted, but the rest was going to have to be average, less expensive brands.

Amy mentioned once again getting a job and Callen absolutely refused, saying she needed to be home with Sammy and the kids. He'd been contemplating selling his house for some time and wanted to talk to Amy about it, but kept forgetting. Finally, on the way home from the mall he remembered. Amy didn't really like the idea of him selling the house and felt it would better help if he rented the house out. He decided to talk to Hetty since she purchased the house originally.

Before Callen returned to work and the kids to school, they moved back into the master bedroom. Once the guest room was cleared out, Callen, Ricky and Sam painted it a light shade of orange for Kristy and helped move her furniture in. Kristy's original room was repainted to Ricky's specification and Ricky's was painted for Jenny. Then came time to paint Sammy's room, with the crib sheet in hand, Michelle and Amy headed to the store to decide which color to use. They actually chose two colors, the minty green and the baby blue. The two women masked the pattern on the walls before the guys painted. When they were done, it was so cute. They painted vertical stripes and added three blocks of the alternate color. Callen and Sam complained about the tedious work, but were happy with the end result.

Once the paint was dried and the fumes aired out, they moved Sammy's crib, matching changing table and dresser into the room. Ricky brought in the rocking horse Gibbs had made and set it in the corner of the room. The dresser was placed under the window and the glider rocker next to it. Later on, after Callen went back to work, Amy and Michelle were going to add the last few touches to the room. Nell and Eric had already been in the room and set up the video monitoring system for them. Callen and Amy could watch Sammy from any of the TVs in the house and Callen could watch from his laptop at work.

The kids were outside and Sammy was asleep, finally Callen and Amy had a few minutes to themselves. Together, they sat on the couch talking. Amy wanted to get a jogging stroller so she could resume her running and Callen thought it was a good idea. Then Callen broached the subject of adopting Kristy, Ricky and Jenny.

"I'd like to adopt the kids." He said waiting to see her reaction.

She sat there silent for a moment. "Really?"

"Yes, they haven't seen or heard from Rick in a couple years, he hasn't sent any money, you and I are the only ones supporting them. What would you think about petitioning to have Rick's rights revoked?" he asked.

"I don't know, please don't get me wrong, I'd love for you to adopt the kids, but." She paused. "Don't you think it's a little harsh to just take the kids from him like that?"

"Amy, he kidnapped the kids, put them in harm's way and not even so much as called to say Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday to any of them." He said, trying to get her to see his point of view.

"I know he hasn't and it makes me mad. We should talk to the kids about it before we make any decisions. See what they think about it." She said.

"I want to talk to them about it soon. I'd like to get this started as soon as possible if we decide to do it." He said.

"What's the rush, we're already a family." She said.

"I don't know, I think its Sammy. I want him them all to have the same last name. We'll explain to him when he gets older, but I want us all to have the same name." he smiled.

"Alright, we'll talk to the kids after dinner." She told him.

Sammy woke just as Amy was starting dinner, so Callen went up to get him. Amy watched him talk to the baby as he changed his diaper and redressed him. He really was good with the baby and had been wonderful with the older kids. While she had reservations about taking Rick's rights, Callen deserved to adopt them. She went back to making dinner when they came downstairs. Callen walked into the kitchen and let Amy take Sammy while Callen warmed the bottle. Sammy's eyes were as bright as Callen's and cooed as Amy talked to him. She kissed his cheeks as he rooted. She teased and told Callen to hurry when Sammy got fussier. After one last hug and kiss she passed Sammy to Callen and went back to dinner.

Sammy sucked two ounces down in nothing flat; Callen was burping him when the kids came in to clean up for dinner. They set the table as he fed Sammy the last two ounces. By the time he burped, he was sound asleep, so Callen put him in the bouncer and set him on the floor between him and Amy. Both the dog and cat were sitting next to him, as if they were guarding the baby. Callen looked at Amy and started the conversation about adoption.

"How would you guys feel if I adopted you and gave you my last name?" he asked.

"Doesn't that mean that Dad would have to give-up his rights?" Kristy asked.

"Yes it does." He said seeing the sadness in her face.

"We haven't heard from or seen him in two years, Kristy. Callen's always been more of a Dad to us. I'd like to be a Callen instead of a Russell." Ricky said.

"Yeah, but he's still out Dad." Kristy snapped.

"Yes, Rick will always be your father biologically; I'd like to be your father legally." Callen said.

"Can I think about it for a while?" Kristy asked.

"Of course." Callen said.

With that, the conversation was over. The kids cleared the table and Callen loaded the dishwasher. Amy didn't know what to make of Kristy's reaction; she was the first of the kids to Call Callen Dad. Why wouldn't she want to become his daughter legally? There had to be another reason. Amy followed her upstairs; she watched as Kristy sat at her desk, took a piece of paper and pencil out of a drawer and started writing.

"What are you doing honey?" She asked.

"Writing Daddy a letter, he needs to know what you and Callen want to do." She said not looking at her mother.

"Honey, we don't even have an address for you father." Amy said.

"You may not, but I do." She said smartly.

"How long have you had your father's address and where did you get it?" Amy asked trying to keep calm.

"Don't worry about how I got it. I've been writing him for about a year now." She said.

"You don't think maybe you should have told me that you were writing him?" Amy asked losing her patience. "How often do you get a response from him?"

"About once a month." She smiled.

"What all have you told him?"

"Everything, you and Callen getting married, Callen's accident, Sammy." Kristy announced snidely.

"Kristy you should've told me about it, here I've been thinking that your father has completely turned his back on you guys. Regardless out what you think, as your mother, I needed to know. Can I read the letters from your father?" She asked.

"I burn them after I read them." Kristy said.

With that, Amy walked out of her room and slammed the door behind her. She quickly put on some running clothes and told Callen she was going out for a while. Callen stood there wondering what had happened.

Amy was furious, how could Kristy not tell her she was communicating with her father. This was her first run since having Sammy and he was already a month old. She shouldn't have pushed herself so hard, but needed to run off her anger. She'd ran ten miles before she finally set foot in the door. Callen was worried, waiting for her when she walked in.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked. "Why did you take off like that?"

Amy walked to the cabinet and got a glass, filling it with cold water before she answered. "I was angry; I had to get out of the house for a while."

"Why were you mad?" he asked, searching his memory of the evening.

"I followed Kristy upstairs after dinner and found her writing her father a letter. She's been communicating with him for a year now and never said anything." Amy said resting against the counter.

"What a year and she never said anything, did you ask to read the letters?" Callen asked standing across from her, leaning against the island.

Amy shot off the counter, "She burns them after she reads them. I don't know if that's because her father tells her to or what. I check the mail every day, when the hell are these letters coming?"

"The only thing she gets are letters from Rick's parents." He said, realized his parents were facilitating it.

"Shit, his parents. Damn it. I wish she'd said something. Here I've been thinking all this time that Rick turned his back on them." She said.

"Should I go talk to her?" Callen asked.

"No, let's leave it be let her send this letter and I'll try to intercept the letter he writes back. I hate to think of what he's filling her head with." She said. "I'll call Rick's parents too. Let them know that I had no idea they were writing each other."

"Aside from being mad, did you have a good run?" Callen asked pulling her to him, kissing her neck tasting the salt on her skin.

Amy smiled widely, "I ran ten miles."

"Really, wow. No wonder you were gone so long. How do you feel, it's been a couple months since you ran last." He asked.

"I feel good, I'll probably feel it tomorrow, right now, and I feel good." She said kissing him. "I'm going to go take a shower, care to join me?"

Callen's eyes lit up. "Really, I thought we were waiting until your six week check up?"

Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I was just talking about taking a shower."

"Damn, sure. I'll wash your back for you." He smiled, cupping her rear in his hand as they went up the stairs.

They checked on the kids before going into their room. The only one who was still awake was Kristy. Amy asked if she could keep and ear out for the baby while they showered. She huffed and puffed, but reluctantly agreed. Callen and Amy were able to shower and fool around a little before the baby woke-up. Callen quickly got out and dried off to get him while Amy finished up. She sat on the bed feeding Sammy before he fell asleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**I would like to thank everyone who read this story and enjoyed it. This is the final chapter of Betrayal. I could write for years and grow the kids up and have Callen and Amy grow old and grey, but it has to end sometime. The outpouring and following this story has received has meant so much. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!**

* * *

Even though Callen had been released to light duty, he was still restricted when it came to driving. After Amy took Jenny to school, she took Callen to work. The first day, she went in with him so everyone could see Sammy. She didn't want to stay very long, but wound up hanging around for an hour. Hetty even joined the group oohing and aahing over the baby. When the team got called upstairs for a case, Hetty took Amy and Sammy to her office. Callen had spoken to Hetty about selling the house and wanted Amy's input on the subject.

"Honestly, I think it would better help us if we used the property as income, renting it out. I worked property management before Rick and I got married. I'm sure I could manage the house." Amy said.

"I'm sure you could. Now what is this I hear about Callen wanting to adopt the children?" Hetty asked with a slight smile.

"Yes, he does, but it required me petitioning the court to have Rick's rights taken away. We just found out last week that Rick's been sending letters to Kristy via his parents. She claims to be burning the letters after she reads them, so I have no clue what he's telling her." Amy said.

"Do you know what Kristina has been saying to Richard?" Hetty asked.

"Kristy said she's told him everything about Callen and I getting married, the baby and the night Callen mentioned his desire to adopt them, she wrote her father again." She said.

"You don't think Richard deserves to know about your happiness?" she asked.

"No, he does, I just think it should come from me, not the kids. Both of them should've told me they were communicating. Here I'd thought he had turned his back on them. No birthday cards, no phone calls at Christmas." Amy said.

"Have you spoken to Richard's parents about it?"

"No, I was going to call them today." Amy told her.

Sammy started to fuss, so Amy went over to the bullpen and sat on the couch while she fed him. Callen came back down from Ops and noticed they were still there. He took a minute to sit with them before heading back up to Ops while the others left to pursue leads and talk to witnesses. Sammy finished up and Callen took him to burp him so Amy could put herself back together. Once Sammy let out a monstrous belch, Amy put him back in his car seat and headed home. Sam had agreed to run Callen by the house before he headed home to San Diego that evening.

By the time Amy pulled into the driveway, Sammy was sound asleep. She carried him into the house and up to his room. Amy debated on letting sleep in his car seat until she thought of a friend's baby who had died of SIDS while sleeping in his car seat. Carefully, she undid the buckles and laid him in his crib. She stood there for a few minutes watching him sleep, so in love with him, as much as she loved her other three children. Finally, she walked out of the room and called her ex-mother-in-law.

Her ex-sister-in-law answered the phone; they chatted for a few minutes about the baby before she mentioned Kristy and Rick communicating. While she knew the two were writing back and forth, she thought it was odd that his letters were sent to her house instead of straight to Kristy. She also wasn't surprised that Amy didn't know and had no idea what had been said or discussed in any of the letters. Her mom was due home from an appointment shortly, so she said she'd talk to her about it and call her back.

Callen sat in Ops with Nell and Eric, bored. He felt so useless; it was agonizing watching everything from the sidelines. Though he felt comfort in knowing that it wouldn't be forever. He closely watched the newest member of the team; he'd make a good agent eventually, but was nowhere near what he needed to be for this elite team. Sam was constantly frustrated over some one of the kids' screw-ups. Before Callen went back to work, Sam would call every night lamenting about this kid. Callen had to laugh at several of the stories, but could hear the anger bubbling over in Sam's voice.

The sooner he could rejoin the team in the field, the better. Amy would worry more, but he'd be back to what he knew and loved to do. Having his nose to the grindstone, figuring out the case and seeing it through to the end, physically; was the most rewarding part. He detested sitting back and watching as the others did the hands-on work. Today, Sam picked up Callen on the way to the boatshed to talk to their suspect. He was so excited, he could barely contain himself. The kid was blabbering about something in the back seat, Callen tried to ignore him, but his voice reminded him of fingernails of a chalkboard.

Callen and Sam talked to the suspect as Kensi, Deeks and the Kid sat out watching. It was a truly liberating experience; they were back to playing good cop, bad cop. Callen loved it. They got everything they needed without much intimidation. He was hauled off to holding, Callen, Sam and the Kid went back to the mission. Hetty greeted him and congratulated him on a successful first day back. Callen was all smiles as she offered him and Sam a celebratory drink. He laughed as the Kid stomped off dejected when he wasn't offered one.

On the way home, Sam told Callen how nice it was to have him back in the office, even if he wasn't out in the field, yet. He said that they all missed having him around. Sam told Callen he couldn't wait to turn the team back over to him and that he was more than content with his title as partner and right-hand man. The kids were playing basketball when Sam pulled in the driveway. He got out and shot a couple baskets with the kids and visited with Amy before heading down the road.

Amy could tell Callen had a really good day. Sammy was sitting in the swing when Callen walked in the house. He kissed Amy and then took the baby and held him up playing super-baby with him.

"Callen, he did just eat a little bit ago." Amy told him, hoping Sammy didn't burp up.

"Aw, Mommy's being a spoil sport, isn't she?" Callen said holding the baby upright again. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, he had a very good day. Slept for three hours this afternoon, I had to wake him up to go get Jenny this afternoon. He's been awake now for almost as long." She smiled at Sammy and tickled his tummy.

"Wow, you've been up for three hours." He said to Sammy, who was sucking on his own knuckle. "How much is he eating, still four ounces in a sitting?"

"No, he took six earlier. He's only a month and a few days old, he really shouldn't be drinking six ounces already." She said.

"When's his next appointment?" Callen asked.

"In a few weeks, I can call if you're worried about it." Amy told him.

"Nope, I think you've got a good handle on things." He said hugging Amy and Sammy. "Did you talk to Rick's mom?"

"No, I talked to Rick's sister. According to her she had no idea I didn't know they were writing back and forth. She found it odd that the letters went to them and not straight to our house. She was supposed to talk to Mom and call me back, but I doubt she will. I'll just have to try to intercept the letter here." She said.

"Ok, can I help you with dinner?" Callen asked.

"Why don't you tell me about your day, I've pretty much got everything covered." She said smiling.

Callen smiled as he told her all about the case and the day and the interrogation. He told her about how much everyone disliked the new temporary team member. How his voice was annoying and how he got mad when Hetty offered him and Sam a drink and not the kid. Callen told her about it not being so bad sitting things out from Ops. Amy was so happy he'd had a good day. He hadn't been in a mood like this in a very long while. After Amy drained the potatoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He looked at the baby and saw he was asleep, then noticed she had nothing on the stove and tried to lead her upstairs. While Amy was willing, she was starving and offered to partake later that evening after the kids had gone to bed. He agreed and sat on the other side of the island talking with her as she mashed the potatoes. She pulled the pork chops from the oven and asked if he could have the kids come in and get ready for dinner. Amy watched as Callen went out and stole the basketball from the kids and shot a few baskets before he pulled them in the house.

They ate dinner and spent time talking and goofing off before the kids went to bed. Callen fed Sammy while Amy pumped one last time for the night before heading up to bed. The spent a little bit of time in each child's room watching them sleep; very thankful they were in their lives. They walked up the stairs and closed the door behind them. Callen was the insatiable one; it had been far too long for his liking. Amy loved every minute as he ravaged her body. After two hours of making love, they fell asleep until Sammy woke-up to eat an hour later.

Callen got the baby and brought him in the room to Amy then went back for a diaper so they could changed him before putting him back to bed. They left him in the bed with them for a while before they laid him in his crib. Amy loved to watch the baby sleep. Callen fell asleep, so Amy put on her robe and took Sammy to bed. She pulled the blanket over his belly and gave him a pat before walking out of the room.

As the weeks passed, things progressed nicely. Callen was weeks away from being released for full field work. The baby was thriving. Amy had intercepted a letter from Rick; it was a very interesting read. She truly wondered how much of the letter was for her benefit since she was positive Rick's sister had passed word that she now knew they were communicating. When she showed it to Callen, he had to laugh, it sounded nothing like the Rick they knew; unless by some miracle, he'd changed while in prison and neither really saw that happening.

In the letter, Rick told Kristy that Callen adopting them was probably the best possible thing, considering he was looking at many, many more years in prison and would most likely never see them again. There were a couple barbs at Amy and Callen for their happiness and for the new baby that honestly was more the Rick they knew. They decided to show Kristy the letter to see if that's how he always sounded in his letters. Kristy wasn't pleased that her mother had invaded her privacy, but wasn't surprised.

"Daddy said you'd do that when you found out that he and I were writing." She said harshly.

"You need to remember that you're still under the age of eighteen and you live under our roof. Once you are of age, I don't care what you do or whether or not you talk to your father. Until then, I read every letter to your father and every letter from him." Amy told her.

"Why do you have to be like this, why can't you just let me have a relationship with him?" Kristy cried.

"I'm not trying to stop you; I just want to be sure he's not filling your head full of crap and making promises to you that we all know he can't keep." Amy said.

"Why do you think he's going to lie to me?" Kristy asked defensively.

"He's only been out of your life for a couple years; you remember how your father behaved. I can't believe you're siding with your father. Haven't Callen and I gone above and beyond to show you you're loved. I don't ask you to help me with Sammy because I know you hated it with Jenny." Amy told her.

"Dad said it was all you." Kristy said pointedly.

"Me, he blamed it all on me?" she asked looking at Callen. Amy knew Rick would try something like this. "Don't you remember all of the other women, the lies and when he kidnapped you?"

Kristy stopped and thought for a few minutes then suddenly burst into tears. "Oh my god, he was just using me to get to you again."

Amy pulled Kristy into a hug and told her everything was going to be okay. She looked at Callen and shook her head. Callen walked over to them. "Kristy, he used you yes, but only because he knows you love him and miss him. I'm sorry he hurt you like this again."

I'm so sorry you guys. I should've told you when I got the first letter." She said as Amy wiped her tears.

"How long ago did you get a letter?" Callen asked.

"Wow, I think the first one came while you were on your honeymoon." She guessed.

Amy suspected that the letters might not be from Rick after all. She looked over at Callen who must've been thinking the same thing. "Did he tell you to burn all of the letters, or was that something you did on your own?"

"He told me to so you wouldn't read them." She said.

"Alright, I'm going to keep this letter. If you get anymore do you want to read them after I do?" Amy asked.

She shook her head, "No, I don't want to have anything else to do with him. Callen's our father now."

Amy made an appointment with the same lawyer who handled her divorce. He wasn't surprised when she'd called asking about how to petition for Rick's rights to be revoked. Hetty apparently had already called and told him. He was particularly intrigued when Amy presented him with the letter Rick supposedly wrote. She was advised that in-light of Rick's offenses and the fact that she'd received no child support over the last two years or so, no judge would refuse her request. He also said that once Rick's rights have been taken that he would start the paperwork for Callen to adopt the kids.

Callen had take Sammy to work with him while Amy went to the appointment. She stopped by and picked him up on the way home. Callen and Amy had discussed putting his house up for rent, reluctantly; he agreed and had everything ready to submit to the newspaper, and other rental publications. Within two weeks, they were sitting at the dining room table looking at three applications. All were for families with younger children. Callen had asked Hetty to run background checks on all of the families. One was standing out as someone they'd like to rent to. Callen made the call.

That weekend, the family met them at the house and made one final walk through before signing the lease agreement. They agreed to pay two thousand dollars a month for the duration of the year long lease. After which the lease would go month to month. Callen and Amy agreed that rent would include the utilities as well. The only thing the family needed to pay for was their food and cable if they chose to have it. Ricky would go over at least once a week to mow the front yard; the family was responsible for the back yard.

Over the two weeks before the family moved in, Amy, Michelle, Sam and Michelle planted flowers in the front yard. The fence in the backyard was in disrepair, so they replaced that as well. Once the family moved in, Amy stopped by once a month to collect the rent and made sure everything was fine with the house. If something needed fixing and she could do it herself, she took care of it. If not, she either waited for Callen or hired a handy man.

Life seemed to settle into a nice pace. Callen went back to work to the field and only rarely did he have problems. Rick did not protest when Amy's sought to have him give up his right, in fact willingly gave them up. By Christmas, Callen adopted Kristy, Ricky and Jenny. When they returned to school the after the holidays, they had a new last name. Finally, Callen had the family he's always wanted. It didn't matter that he didn't know his first name, though it would be nice to know. It didn't matter that he grew up without his mother's physical presence; he learned that she was always with him. He had a family of his own. He had a beautiful wife and four beautiful children. Life was good.


End file.
